Over The Weekend
by AnnJak67
Summary: Rosa has been trying to get Candy and Lysander to finally admit their feelings for each other for quite a while. She devises a plan to get them together. Her plan seems to be working, Candy and Lysander are becoming closer than ever. That is, until someone comes along and sets their sights on Lysander. Will Candy and Lysander end up together? Read to find out. R&R. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**((This is my first fanfic! This first chapter starts after episode 24, after the Nathaniel ordeal and everything, it also has Kentin in it [because he's my second favorite boy] but Lysander is my favorite! All characters belong to ChiNoMiko. I do not own anything My Candy Love related. Thank you! I hope you enjoy!))**

CHAPTER 1

The school week was going by relatively fast. Candy was having fun hearing all about her classmates' new pets, although she did feel a bit sorry for Armin who claimed he was not getting enough sleep (but it secretly made her and Alexy laugh as well!)

On Tuesday she took a walk through the park near her apartment. She had arrived home from school, finished her homework and decided to get some air.

"Candy!" said a familiar voice as she was strolling down the path.

 ** _Kentin,_** thought Candy as she turned around to see her friend and his new dog walking towards her. Looking at Kentin her memory flashed to the person he used to be. A coating of pink lit up her cheeks as she remembered Kentin saying silly things like 'she was the love of his life.' It must have been a passing phase, because he surely did not feel that way about her anymore. Kentin had grown up a lot during military school and could probably have any girl he wanted. This fact did not upset Candy in the slightest, in fact, she hoped that he would find someone; or at the very least had someone in mind like she did. The pink on Candy's cheeks turned red when she thought about a certain boy in Victorian clothing.

"Hey! Taking a walk around the park?" Candy was snapped back to reality by Kentin's question.

"Yeah! It's such a nice afternoon, I wanted to enjoy it." Candy responded with a smile. "Is this your new pup?"

"Yep! This is the big guy!" Kentin said as he picked up the adorable creature. His puppy was beaming with joy as his master held him, he wagged his tail and licked Kentin's cheek. Candy let out a chuckle and reached over to pet the puppy.

"Haha, well he's not very big yet, but he sure is cute!" she said.

Kentin laughed with her, "yeah, but he will be big soon enough; I mean, look at what happened to me!" They both giggled. Kentin put his dog down and he and Candy continued to walk. They talked about old times and when it got dark out, they finally said goodbye and parted ways.

 ** _It's so nice to have Ken back._** Candy thought as she made her way home. It had been a nice afternoon, now she was ready to get some rest to the new day.

* * *

On Wednesday morning Candy decided to wear her blue retro dress Rosa helped pick out a while back. This was the dress Lysander said she looked beautiful in. Candy always blushes when she thinks about that day. She knew that he might not say anything again, but a girl can always dream.

Candy arrived at school and went straight to her locker. As she opened it and took out her book and materials needed for her first class she felt a sudden hug from behind.

"Candy! My dearest friend!" Rosalya exclaimed sweetly as she wrapped her arm around she friend.

"Oh no! I know that sugary voice, what do you want Rosa?" Candy teased, turning around and smiling as Rosa let go. She and Rosa have become very close. As a matter of fact, Candy considered Rosa to be her best friend.

"Candy! I'm offended!" laughed Rosa, barely keeping a straight face. This made Candy laugh, too.

"Hahaha! Okay Rosa, what will it be this time?"

"Don't worry best friend, I am here to invite you to something so fun; you will be thanking me for being such a good friend and thinking of you!"

"Oh really, what would that be?" ask Candy with an inquisitive smile.

"Well, you do recall we have Friday and next Monday off from school? Yay long weekend!"

"Oh yeah! I guess it slipped my mind. That's right!" Candy said smiling at her friend, "You wanna do something?"

"Well, my parents and I are going out of town to the harvest festival in Amoris County over the long weekend. We will be leaving tomorrow after school and coming back Monday night. They said I could bring a friend along if I wanted to and naturally I thought of you! What do you say?"

"Wow Rosa, you're so sweet! That sounds super fun, I would love to come; thanks for inviting me! I will just have to ask my parents, of course. I will ask them tonight and call you, is that okay?" Candy looked at her friend. Rosa seemed to be contemplating something important. "Ros—"

"No." Rosa bluntly interrupted with a sense of urgency in her tone. This took Candy by a bit of a surprise; Rosa could tell by her friend's expression that she was confused. "…What I mean is, wouldn't you rather call them at lunch? That way, in case they say yes you can just pack up when you get home and we'll both leave after school tomorrow!"

Candy still was not getting why Rosa was being so gung-ho about the entire situation, but she wasn't going to question it. She trusted Rosa 100%. "Alright, I will call them at lunch."

"Excellent!" sighed Rosa, "By the way, I love your outfit today. Are you wearing it for any special reason? May-be to impress a certain Lys-baby, hmmmm?"

"Rosa!" whispered Candy, slightly embarrassed. "But you remember what he said last time, right?"

"Hehehe! Yes, I remember, you told me. I also remember you two are in the same 1st period class. You want him to notice you!" Rosa teased. Candy nodded as she blushed. Rosalya knew all about Candy's crush on Lysander. She also had a suspecting feeling that Lysander felt the same way about Candy but she could never get him to admit it. Rosa was all for the two of them being a couple, she thought it would be perfect to have her best friend date her boyfriend's brother. It would be so great, plus she has been looking for a way to repay Candy for getting her and Leigh back together.

 **Rrrrrrrrang!**

"He will definitely notice you!" Rosa smiled at her best friend. "Now go get 'em!"

Candy smiled right back. She said a quick 'see you later' to Rosa before heading to Mr. Faraize's class. Her heart pounded as she walked into the classroom. She walked over to her seat, smiling, knowing that it was right next to Lysander's seat.

"Good morning Lysander," said Candy with a shaky voice.

"Good morning Miss Candy," responded Lysander with a gentle smile.

 **—** **Lysander POV —**

 ** _Wow. She looks absolutely stunning._** He thought to himself as she sat in her seat. Mr. Faraize's history class had become his favorite part of the day for the simple reason that Candy sat next to him. Lysander's feelings for Candy had been growing steadily ever since the day they met. He has never felt this way about a girl before, and did not really know how to explain it, let alone process it. This was unfamiliar territory for him, but he was enjoying it all the same, hoping sooner or later he would have enough courage to express himself to her.

"You look lovel-" began Lysander before being cut off.

"Hey Candy, it was nice hanging out with you yesterday!" said a smiling Kentin as he walked past them to his seat. Lysander looked over at Candy to see her reaction.

"Yeah, it was fun Ken. Err… uh- Kentin, sorry!" was Candy's response.

Lysander felt a sudden pang in his chest. He knew Kentin and Candy were friends before their arrival at Sweet Amoris, but he did not realize that they were spending a significant amount of time together outside of class. **_I waited too long. Now it's too late. I should have told her how I felt, how I still feel. I cannot believe how foolish I am, of course she would date Kentin, they've know each other for years; I simply cannot compete with that._** He thought to himself as turmoil took over his mind.

"We ran into each other yesterday while he was walking his new dog, he's so cute Lysander, you should have seen him!" Candy explained, smiling at him.

That smile brought Lysander back to reality. **_Her smile could most likely bring me back to life, I love her smile._** He thought as relief washed over him after hearing the explanation. **_I still have time. I will tell her…one day…soon?_**

 **— Candy POV —**

 ** _Why am I explaining this to him, I doubt he even cares. Ugh, even if he doesn't care… I still don't want him to get the wrong idea about me and Kentin. Should I say it wasn't planned? No, why bother. Oh, he's smiling again. Wow, he has such a nice smile._** Candy's head was reeling. Lucky for her Mr. Faraize walked in and handed out an assignment to the class.

Candy was the first to finish and turned in her paper. Mr. Faraize told her she could spend the rest of the class studying or finishing homework, anything really as long as it was not disruptive. She went back to her desk and sat quietly, just waiting for the time to pass. She was too shy to steal glances of her crush. The rest of the class period was pretty uneventful.

* * *

It was lunch time and Candy knew Rosalya would be looking for her soon, asking her what her parents had said. She might as well call them so she has an answer for her best friend. After explaining to her mom the details of the trip she was given permission. Candy was very excited, and glad that it did not take much convincing on her part.

 ** _Great! Now I just have to find Rosa and tell her the good news._** Candy thought as she headed towards the courtyard. Luckily this time, Candy did not have to roam aimlessly around the school to find who she was looking for; Rosa appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Did you ask?" questioned Rosa slightly desperate. Candy smiled.

"Yep! They agreed!" Candy said as she sat down on a bench, motioning Rosalya to do the same. However, Rosa did not sit.

"Awesome, that's great news! But listen, I have to go take care of something." Rosa quickly hugged Candy and began to walk away.

"W-wait, what? What do you have to do? Do you need help?" started Candy as she stood up.

"NO!... I mean, no, it's okay! It's not a big deal, I can take care of it. You sit, and finish lunch. Um… pack cute clothes, for… pictures! Yeah, and meet me here in the courtyard after school tomorrow so we can leave. Bye!" said Rosa as she disappeared into the hall.

 ** _What is she up to?_** Candy thought to herself. She rolled her eyes and smiled. **_Whatever it is, how bad could it be?_** She chuckled aloud and began making a mental list of what to pack.


	2. Chapter 2

**(( A/N: Hello! It's me again. I hope whoever is reading this is enjoying it. Here is the newest chapter, hopefully you enjoy the progression and bare with me [first fanfic ever]. Let me know what you think by reviewing! I will try my best to make this something worth reading! Thanks!))**

Chapter 2

Candy stood in the courtyard and waited for her friend to come. The school was practically empty. **_What could be taking Rosa so long?_**

"Hey Candy, you're still here?"

Candy turned around to see who was speaking to her.

"Nathaniel, hi! I was just waiting for Rosa. I'm spending the weekend with her and her family." Candy responded.

"That sounds nice. Well, I have a cat to get home to, I will see you on Tuesday!" said Nathaniel waving goodbye. It was rare seeing him leave right after school, but then again, Nathaniel had been going through some major changes.

 ** _I'm happy for him. He looks content, that's great. After the whole ordeal he went through, he deserves to be happy. Oh my god, where is Rosa!_** Candy was beginning to get impatient.

"Candy!" yelled her best friend.

"Hey! Finally, I was beginning to worry! Are your parents here?" asked Candy as she grabbed her bag she packed for the weekend. She looked at Rosa who was giving her a weird smile.

"Actually, I have a confession to make…" stated Rosa, smiling innocently.

"Confession? What confession?"

"Well, you see, I kind of lied about what we we're doing this weekend." Rosa's eyebrows rose, and she gave Candy a half-shrug.

"What do you mean? We're not going to the harvest festival?"

"No, we will be going to the harvest festival. Just not with my parents. We are going with Leigh and his family."

"WHAT! Rosa, what do you mean, I don't understand!" Candy yelled, completely confused and waiting for Rosa to further explain.

"Okay, calm down and just listen. Leigh and Lysander had planned to visit their parents over the long weekend. They always go this time of year to spend time with their parents and go to the harvest festival. This year, Leigh invited me along; to get to know his parents better and I asked him if I could bring you along. I knew that if I told you the truth you wouldn't dare come, and even if you did, your parents would never allow it. So I came up with this plan and it worked!" Rosa said clapping her hands in a flourish. She was very proud of herself.

"But Rosa, why do you need me to be there with you? I mean, you'll be spending most of your time with Leigh and his parents, which you should! And I would be left alone with Lysand…" Candy finally pieced the entire thing together. "N-n-no! Rosa, I can't spend a whole weekend with him, I mean… what will I say? Does he know I'm coming? I mean, he is going to think I'm a weirdo, and he will find out that I… I -"

"Love him." Rosa finished Candy's sentence.

"W-what, no! Rosa, I just… ugh, does it even matter, he doesn't feel the same way." Candy said as she put her palm on her forehead; her head was spinning.

"Candy! I can tell he feels the exact same way about you!" Rosa hugged her friend in an attempt to comfort her. "And to answer your question, Lysander doesn't know your coming, it'll be a surprise."

"What! Rosa! Do his parents know I am coming, or will it also be a surprise? Are we just going to show up and say 'Hello, surprise, I rudely brought an uninvited guest.'" Candy was beginning to become anxious. This made Rosa laugh a bit.

"Hehehe, of course they know you're coming! Don't freak out! It's all part of the plan Leigh and I came up with. The only person who doesn't know now is Lysander. He went to the bus station right after school, so he will get there before we arrive. We are leaving after Leigh closes the clothes shop. He's closing it early today! At 4 o'clock, he wants to be at his parents by 6:30. We will be on the road in an hour, exciting right!? Now, do me a favor and take that expression off of your face, be excited! After this weekend is over, you might have a boyfriend!" smiled Rosa.

Candy did not believe it! She is about to spend the entire weekend with the boy she has been crushing on. Her heart fluttered with excitement; however she could not shake off the feeling of impending doom.

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap_. Candy could not stop shaking her foot nervously against the linoleum in the clothes shop. Her stomach was in knots, her heart was pounding. Leigh and Rosalya were closing up the shop when he noticed Candy's state. He walked over to her.

"Candy, everything will turn out smoothly. Please do not fret." He said in a calming voice. Candy just looked at him and feigned a smile. Leigh blankly stared at the nervous girl. He was trying to find the right combination of words to put Candy at ease.

"Do you know why I agreed to this?" was his simple question.

Candy wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or not. She looked back at Leigh skeptically, "No… why?"

"Well, first of all, the love of my life asked me to…" he said with a smile as he looked back at Rosalya as she hung up and organized some clothes. Candy followed his gaze and looked at her closest friend. **_Awww! It's so sweet how much they care for each other,_** she thought.

"Rosa can pretty much convince you to do anything can't she?" she said to Leigh, giving him a small chuckle. Leigh laughed a bit.

"Yes, that is a fair observation." He responded.

Candy smiled at Leigh "Listen, Leigh… it's nice of you to do this for her. I know that's what she wanted, but I'm not sure this is the best idea. Mind you, I don't know what else she has concocted but-"

Leigh interrupted before she could finish her thought, "Miss Candy, my apologies for the interruption, but this is it; this is the plan. Just to have the two of you spend some time together, it'll be good for you two. And if you recall, I do have another reason as to why I agreed to Rosa's plan. Remember? May I share it with you?"

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead." answered Candy.

"The second reason I agreed to this scheme for is Lysander." He said matter-of-factly. Candy just stared at him blankly. Leigh continued, "You see, he speaks of you quite often. I have observed you two together, and I admit… he's never looked happier. This is a good match, Candy. Believe me."

"T-thanks." Candy said not knowing how well to react. She was beginning to blush.

"Candy, you care for him a lot, do you not?" inquired Leigh.

Candy was a bit taken back by the directness of the question. She looked right at Leigh, "Yes."

Leigh seemed to be satisfied with Candy's answer. "Let's proceed with our plan then!"

Candy sighed in what sounded like relief, "Okay."

Leigh's words did give her some sense of comfort. She was finally beginning to calm down, not only that; she was beginning to feel a little excited.

"Are we ready to go?" yelled Rosa from the front of the clothes shop. Leigh looked at Candy and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yes." Candy answered confidently.

* * *

"OH MY GOODNESS! CAN THIS DRIVER BE GOING ANY SLOWER?! HURRY UP!" Rosa screamed from the passenger seat of Leigh's car. She was beginning to feel restless. Candy quietly chucked in the back seat. She knew Rosa wasn't the patient kind, it became kind of an inside joke between them.

"Love, it's not their fault. Besides, we are almost there." Leigh explained soothingly as he took one hand off the wheel to hold Rosa's hand. This seemed to calm Rosa, and even lift her spirits.

"Really!?" Rosalya's entire posture peaked upwards.

"Yes, love." Leigh answered making a right turn onto a lonely road. "We will most likely arrive in 20 to 30 minutes."

She looked behind her towards her friend, "Did you hear that, Candy? We're almost there" she squealed.

Candy just smiled and nodded. **_Oh no! We're almost there?! Okay, it's gonna be okay. Just breathe. It's all good! This is going to be a good weekend. Lysander will be happy to see me! Right?_** Candy's thoughts were spiraling. "Can't wait!" was all she could muster as a response. She went back to staring out the window. As far as distractions go, this was pretty much the only option. Looking at the passing landscape Candy couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. Everything around them was a lush green. There were flowers in every color one could imagine, they frosted the hilltops. Even the scent of the air seemed sweeter. Candy finally understood Lysander's love for the country side. She thought back to all those conversations they would have about his childhood. She was happy that she could finally experience a little slice of his old life. **_Yeah, he will be happy to see me._** Candy thought to herself, a small smile tugging at the side of her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**((A/N: Hey! Whoa, chapter 3 already. This one is longer than the previous 2, so that's exciting. I hope whoever is following along is enjoying the story. Please, please, please give me some reviews. I want to make this story something fans will enjoy. I am having such a great time writing it. Thanks again!))**

Chapter 3

After what seemed like forever, they finally arrived to their final destination. Candy looked out her window. The two-story wooden house was absolutely gorgeous. It had large windows, wide steps leading up to the front door and a porch that wrapped all the way around. I was so charming and picture perfect, it even had yellow Gerber daisies on the window pane and a cute porch sing in the corner. Next to the house quite a few yards away stood a quaint little barn. The entire property was surrounded by beautiful forest pansy trees in bloom.

"Wow!" Candy and Rosa gasped in unison.

Leigh simply chuckled, "That tends to be people's reaction upon being here for the first time. I'm glad you ladies like what you see. Shall we?" He got out of the car and went to open Rosa and Candy's door.

 **—Candy POV—**

 ** _Okay, we're here. There's no turning back now… This will be… interesting._**

The trio got their bags and headed towards the front door. Leigh led the way hand in hand with Rosa, Candy was behind them trying to keep her composure. Candy's heart began to pound in her chest.

 _Thump. Thump._

They walked up the porch steps. Three steps to be exact, Candy counted each one in an attempt to not trip.

 _Thump. Thump._

The trio paused in front of the door.

 _Thump. Thump._

Leigh looked at his Rosa and then at Candy. "Are we ready, ladies?"

 _Thump. Thump._

Leigh opened the door and let Rosa and Candy step in. Before Leigh even had a chance to shut the door behind him, his mother emerged out of nowhere with the warmest greeting in the world.

"Hello! Hello! Welcome!" Leigh's mother practically sang. She threw her arms around Rosalya, "Oh! Let me look at you," she said as she released Rosa and held both her hands.

"My goodness, you are a vision Miss Rosalya, I'm so glad to have you here. Leigh speaks marvelously of you!" She said looking lovingly at Leigh; he was blushing at this point.

Rosalya beamed with joy. "Thanks so much for having me, and thank you for letting me invite Candy along as well!"

The vivacious old woman turned her attention to Candy with a smile and another warm embrace.

"Of course! I'm so happy to have you here!" she said letting go of Candy. "You are just as lovely and beautiful as when we first met Miss Candy! You both are!" she smiled.

"Thank you Mrs. Ainsworth! I am very happy to be here!" Candy said sweetly.

"Oh, please dear, call me Josiane. Or Jo for short! No need for formalities here Miss Candy. I am pleased to have you here!" she leaned into Candy's ear and whispered, "I know someone else who will be happy of your arrival!"

This statement colored Candy's cheeks red. She nervously laughed.

"Oh Mother, don't frighten the poor girl!" laughed Leigh as he hugged his Mother and kissed her cheek. Jo just laughed.

"Come along sweethearts, I will show you to your room. I hope you like it!" said Jo as she led Rosa and Candy up the stairs.

"Wait, mom… Where is Pop, and Lys?" asked Leigh.

"What honey? Ah, they are in the back chopping some firewood. You know it can get cold here. Why don't you go help them." She responded. Rosa added her two cents.

"Yes love, tell dear Lys-baby we brought him a surprise. But don't say who it is!" Rosa said in a cheeky voice and making wide eyes at Candy. Leigh just smiled and proceeded outside to wherever 'the back' was.

The girls followed Jo upstairs and down a long hallway. She explained the room next to the staircase was hers and her husbands, in case they needed anything throughout the night, that's where they could find them to ask. The next room over was Leigh's room, followed by Lysander's and then finally the guest room where Rosa and Candy would spend the weekend was next to the bathroom.

"Here we are my dears!" said Jo as she opened the bedroom door. "It's a trundle bed. A twin mattress pulls out underneath the full sized mattress. I will let you two decide what you want. Take your time unpacking; dinner will be ready around 8. When you two are done unpacking, come downstairs to meet George!" she said in a sing-song manner. She left the room.

"Candy, would you like the top bed or the one that pulls out?" Rosa cheerfully asked. Candy just smiled at her friend.

"I don't mind either way, Rosa. Let's unpack and go back downstairs!" said Candy, she was feeling pretty upbeat. It was pretty difficult not being upbeat around Josiane. **_She is just so nice and friendly._** Candy thought to herself.

"Ooooohoohooo! Someone is ready to see a certain silver-haired boy!" teased Rosa while poking her friend.

"Stop it!" Candy laughed while simultaneously waving off Rosa's poking hands. Rosa continued to torture her friend with her relentless pokes.

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll stop!" Rosa finally surrendered. "Let's go downstairs to see the famous 'Pop'."

The girls proceeded downstairs and followed the sound of chatter into the living room. There they found Leigh sitting in the middle of a large yellow couch, his father sitting in a chair across from him.

"Why hello there!" said the old man standing up from his chair in an enthusiastic manner. "I'm George! It's so nice to see you girls again! I am very happy you're here!"

"Thank you, we're happy to be here!" answered Rosa first.

"Now Miss Rosalya, I'll tell you; I have never seen Leigh so happy. I know you are the reason behind that smile, thank you for being so good to him! He tells me all sorts of wonderful things about you!" George exclaimed genuinely.

Rosa was now smiling from ear to ear. "No need to thank me! He makes me just as happy!" answered Rosa looking at her love. Leigh was beaming right back at her.

"And Miss Candy, don't you think I forgot about you! Why, I feel as if I already know you. You see, Lysander talks about you all the time! It's so nice to have you here in person." George smiled at Candy.

"It's so true!" a voice came from the other room. Josiane appeared from the kitchen hold a tray of drinks.

"Thank you!" Candy giggled, "I look forward to getting to know you better! Both of you!" she said looking at Jo and George.

"Please, girls; sit! The couch is very cushy!" George motioned the girls to sit.

"Honey, where is our son?" Jo said looking at George inquisitively.

"You know him, he's under the big tree." answered her husband.

"Oh for goodness sakes," Jo made her way to the kitchen and out the back door. "Lysander, come inside and greet your guest."

Candy was beginning to shake. **_Should I stand up? Is he coming? Ugh, what should I say to him when he sees me? 'Hi Lysander'… no, 'Hey Lys! What's up!' What? NO. I'll just say 'Hello Lysander, what am I doing here you ask. Aren't you happy to see me, you are! I'm sooo glad to be here with you.' Yeah no, I won't say THAT!_**

Rosa noticed Candy was having a conversation with herself. She gently tapped Candy's elbow and gestured to her to stand. They could hear Jo in the kitchen. She was talking as Lysander was walking in through the back door.

"You have to say hi to our lovely guest, she's been waiting to see you all night I could tell."

Candy's breath hitched a bit at the sentence. She lightly palmed her forehead. Rosa, Leigh and George all giggled.

"Mom, I know Rosa is here. The formalities between us are not severe." Lysander said in a soft, warm voice.

"She's not talking about me Lys-baby!" Rosalya shouted from the living room while laughing up a storm.

"Come on son, to the living room," said Josiane.

They entered the living room. Candy's eye immediately went to Lysander. He was not in his Victorian clothing anymore, he looked so different. He was wearing dark jeans, tan boots, and a plaid blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up his elbow. **_I guess Victorian clothing aren't the most useful attire for cutting wood, or other farm activities…_** Candy pondered.

"Good evening Rosa. Who else is here?" asked Lysander as he searched the room. His eyes finally found Candy; he was instantly frozen in place.

"H-hi Lysander," Candy greeted her crush.

Lysander finally snapped back into reality. "Hello. Uh… I… My apologies, I was not aware you were joining us. I am happy you're here, welcome." He rambled. Candy smile at him, she wasn't sure what to say. Searching for the right words caused a moment of silence.

Josiane was the one to break the silence. "Leigh, will you help set the table? Rosa, can help too!" she smiled at the pair.

"Of course, we will do it right away!" Rosa said walking over to Leigh's side and heading towards the kitchen.

"Lysander, thank you for helping you father with the wood." Jo looked at her son.

"No trouble at all Mother. Is there anything else you needed?" Lysander responded. His voice was still trembling a bit from his surprise.

"Actually… now that you mention it, you're father forgot to pick up the ice cream to go along with the pie I made for dessert. Would you mind going to the store to pick some up?" said she in a voice as sweet as honey. Lysander was about to answer when his father interjected into the conversation.

"My darling, I swear I did not forget a thing this time. I brought the list with me; I bought everything you asked for. I didn't forget a single thing!" he exclaimed.

 ** _This time? So Lysander gets his forgetful nature from his father._** Candy thought trying to hide her smile.

Jo shot her husband a wide-eyed look, "You did forget darling, but it's okay; Lysander can go get some. He can go with Candyyyyy!" she sang at the end of her sentence. Jo was desperately trying to get her husband to catch up. He finally did.

"Oh! Oh, right! Oh this brain of mine, I did forget. Lysander, go ahead to the store with Candy. Miss Candy, don't you let him forget what we sent him for." He said drapping am arm over Candy giving her a big smile.

Lysander let out a long sigh. A smile was forming on his lips while his cheeks steadily became more and more pink. It was obvious what his parents were doing, and while he was a bit embarrassed he was secretly thankful for what they were doing.

"Candy, would you like to join me?" he asked.

Candy smiled at him, "I'd love to!"

Lysander turned to his mother, "We will return shortly-"

"Take your time!" Jo said almost sounding like a demand.

"What flavor do you wish us to purchase?" Lysander inquired.

"That doesn't matter sweetheart, your choice. Now, off! Off! Off you go!" Jo was virtually pushing Candy and Lysander out the door. They heard it slam behind them once they were on the porch.

Lysander looked at Candy. He was a bit nervous and began rubbing the back of his neck. "Shall we?" he motioned to a trucked parked by the house. Candy descended down the steps and towards the vehicle.

"Allow me to get your door," said Lysander as he cupped her hand in his, opened the passenger side door and helped her into the truck.

"Thank you!" Candy said cheerfully and climbed in. Lysander shut the door and began walking to the driver's side. She was already swooning.

 **—Lysander's POV—**

 ** _I can't believe she's here. This was definitely Rosa's doing. I must remember to thank her later on._** Lysander thought as we sat in the car and put on his seatbelt. He look at the girl he had feelings for, she smiled at him. This made his heart beat faster.

"I must admit, I was not expecting your presence this weekend." he said turning on the engine.

"Surprised?" Candy asked coyly.

"Pleasantly." He responded. Now it was Candy's heart that was beating faster. Lysander drove to the store. Along the way he pointed out various spots of the little town. Candy hung on to his every word, she loved hearing his stories. She love how his eyes lit up while he was sharing these stories with her even more. They came to the end of their tour when Lysander parked the truck and pointed to a dark blue sign with white writing that read "Miles and Son General Store." Candy unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.

"I will get your door, Miss Candy." Before Candy could protest Lysander had already stepped out and opened her door.

"Thanks Lysander, you're so sweet." She said to him. He simply smiled. They went into the quaint store and made their way to the frozen section.

"Wow, there are a lot of choices." Candy said while she studied the shelf full of different flavors and brands.

"Yes. There are. May-be we should choose something simple, like vanilla."

Candy began to laugh lightly. Even though Lysander loved to hear her laugh and it always brought a smile to his face, he was a bit confused as to what was causing her laughter. **_Is there something on my face? Did I do something embarrassing?_** He thought to himself.

Candy noticed Lysander's puzzled expression. She got closer to him and reached for his shoulder, "It's a good idea Lysander, but… you see, there are also so many different vanilla flavors," Candy pointing to all the vanilla choices.

Lysander looked down at the choices: Vanilla, vanilla bean, French vanilla, vanilla cookie, burnt vanilla sugar, simple vanilla, classic vanilla, and finally vanilla froyo. Lysander smiled and let out a chuckle. "You're right, wow. What is the difference between Vanilla and simple vanilla?" he mused.

Candy laughed lightly, "No clue!" She opened the freezer door and reached in for a gallon. "I think classic vanilla is the best choice for us, I mean, can't go wrong with the classics, right?"

Lysander looked at her fondly, "You are absolutely right. Shall we?" he said as he extended his arm out to her. Candy looped her arm around his; they went to the checkout and then back home.

Dinner was simply amazing. Jo was a wonderful cook, and everyone was thoroughly enjoying each other's company. Candy sat next to Lysander. They both had a wonderful time.

* * *

 **-Candy's POV-**

It was now time for bed. Candy was actually pretty tired and ready for some sleep. She was already in her strawberry pajamas when Rosa walked in.

"Candy! Hey. Are you enjoying yourself?!"

Candy looked at Rosa and grinned. She threw her arms around her best friend, "Yes! I am Rosa. Thank you and your crazy plan!"

"Yay! Hahaha! If you're really feeling grateful you could go downstairs and get me a glass of water," said Rosa.

"Pfft, be right back!" smiled Candy. She went down to the kitchen and filled up a cup. She was going back upstairs when she noticed Leigh and Rosa giggling and making their way into Candy and Rosa's room. Candy heard the door lock. **_Nice. Well played Rosa. 'Go get me water.'_** She mimicked in her head. Candy headed back downstairs. She emptied the glass in the kitchen sink and then headed towards the living room. She slumped down on the big comfy couch and decided to wait until her room became available again.

"Candy?" a voice said. Candy's head whipped around to find Lysander standing behind the couch. He, too, was in his sleep wear; which consisted of an old grey t-shirt and black sweats.

"Oh hey!" was all she could say.

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked.

"I could ask you the same thing!" she said trying to be cute, in an attempt to avoid the explanation.

"I wanted some water. There, I answered; now it's your turn." Lysander said.

"Well, Leigh and Rosa are…uh…s-saying goodnight. I thought I'd give them privacy."

"What? Why do they need privacy for that?" He looked at Candy who was giving him a strange expression. It finally clicked in his mind, "Oh, I see. Leigh could have said goodnight in his room, then again I suppose it is the closet room to our parents…" Lysander trailed off. Candy half scoffed, just trying to suppress a fit of laughter.

"Would you like to go to my bed?" he asked, then immediately regretted it. "I MEAN, go to my bed by yourself of course…I would want to be in the same bed as you." He was beginning to ramble, "would NOT!" he emphasized the word not, his arms held up like he was surrendering, "b-because I would wish to disturb you! We won't be in the same bed. I will stay here."

"It's okay Lysander." Candy said putting his babbling to an end, she prayed she wasn't blushing. "I'm sure that I can go back up soon, don't you worry."

Lysander finally relaxed. He took in a deep breath and let it out. "I will keep you company until then, if that's alright with you."

"Okay." Candy nodded, hoping it didn't sound too eager.

"Would you like to watch some television?" he asked reaching for the control and sitting down next to her.

"Sure!"

They flipped through a couple channels before landing on an infomercial for some nifty kitchen appliance. Somewhere in the middle of the program they both dozed off. Somehow they managed to lie down on the big yellow couch facing each other. Both of them were in a deep and wonderful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**((A/N: Hello! It's me again! This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but not by much! We are getting to the meat of the story, I promise! Please enjoy, and thank you so much for following along, it's been such a pleasure writing this tale! R &R, thanks again!))**

Chapter 4

 **-Lysander's POV-**

Lysander was in a deep sleep. He shifted to get more comfortable, that is when he felt something in his arms. His eyes flicked open to see a sleeping Candy wrapped up in his arms. **_We must have fallen asleep. Oh, she looks so serene; I can't possibly wake her. What is that? Smells like sweet clementines? Wow, it's intoxicating, must be her hair._**

Lysander wiggled a little trying his best not to disturb Candy, he turned off the t.v. He was trying to release her from his arms, feeling that it was inappropriate to be holding her without her consent. In the end, he decided his efforts were futile because she looked so comfortable. The reality was he enjoyed having her so close; he loved seeing her snug and cozy right next to him. **_I should take her to her room; we can't stay her all night no matter how much I want to. I should wake her, or may-be… I could just carry her to her bed?_** His decision was made. He shifted in order to carry Candy to her room then froze as soon as Candy moved a bit sleepily tugging Lysander's shirt.

 **-Candy's POV-**

Candy's eye fluttered momentarily before opening and seeing Lysander's face. She smiled and closed her eyes for a second before realizing she was not dreaming. Her eyes shot open.

"OH! S-s-sorry!" she uttered moving away too quickly and ultimately…

 **BAM!**

She fell off the couch.

"Candy!" Lysander said shuffling to his feet to help her up. Candy wasn't hurt but her ego sure was. Lysander extended an arm to help her she tried standing up in order to save face. Again, moving too quickly…

 **BANG!**

She hit her head in the edge of the coffee table.

"Oh goodness, Candy; are you okay?!" Lysander said scooping her up in his arms and placing her on the couch, "I will be right back, I am getting you some ice" he stated, he was gone for a brief moment and back with some ice.

 ** _What the hell! That was super graceful. You really know how to be seductive don't cha!_** Candy reprimanded herself in her head.

"Lysander, I'm really okay. I promise." Candy said, not wanting him to fret. Lysander sat next to her gently pressed the ice pack on Candy's head; his other hand cupped her face.

"Does it hurt? Are you feeling alright?!"

"No. No pain. Really," Candy grabbed his wrist and reached for the ice pack, "No need to make a fuss." She laughed nervously. **_Oh my god! This is humiliating,_** she thought to herself. Lysander gave her a skeptical look.

"I think I'm just going to go up to bed, thanks for everything Lysander." Candy stood up, Lysander did the same.

"Wait, are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah! You know what they say; sleep is the best thing for a concussion." she said sheepishly laughing at her own lame joke.

"Candy, that is absolutely not true." Lysander said in a serious tone.

"I know it was a bad joke. But I, really- I-I'm okay." Candy stated sheepishly.

"Oh, a joke… clever," he stated in a monotone voice, "I'll walk you up to your room," announced Lysander as he placed one arm on the small of Candy's back to lead the way.

Candy let out a breathy sigh, "Thanks." The pair walked up the stairs and made it to the end of the hall. Candy turned to Lysander and looked him in the eyes.

"Well, good night. Thanks for keeping me company." Candy whispered.

"No thanks needed. Are you sure you feel well?" he asked grabbing her hand, genuinely concerned. Candy pulled him into a hug. Lysander instantly coiled his arms around her as well.

"Yes, I'm good. Thanks for caring. Good night!" she whispered into his ear. She felt Lysander let out a deep breath in her arms.

They parted after a few seconds; Lysander held Candy's hand and brought it to his lips to place a soft kiss on it. "Good night, sweet Candy."

Candy entered her room quietly. Rosa was quietly snoring on the top bed. She laid down in the bottom bed at mulled over the events that had just taken place. She looked at the back of her hand in the dark, staring in the exact spot where Lysander kissed her.

 ** _All in all, that was pretty great. I managed to look at like a fool, but still… he was super sweet. May-be Rosa is right._**

Candy slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning Candy heard her phone buzzing. She reached for it looking at the screen.

 _New Text Message_

 _Mom_

She swiped her phone to go to the home screen. It read 6:55 AM.

 ** _Jeez mom! Too early!_** She thought to herself as she opened the message.

 _Hi sweetie! How are you doing?_

 _Send me a text or call!_

 _Love you, have fun!_

Candy typed out a response.

 _Hey mom, I'm good. Sorry I_

 _didn't call earlier. Say hi to_

 _dad for me. Love u!_

She waited for another response but none came. Rosa was still fast asleep; Candy quietly got up and grabbed some clothes. She snuck out to the bathroom with her toothbrush and a towel. **_Should I shower? I don't want to wake anyone._** She contemplated.

At that moment Josiane came out of her room. "Candy! Good morning! I see you're an early riser just like me!"

"Hi! Good morning! Yeah, my phone went off, so that woke me." She explained.

"Ah those pesky phones" Jo laughed, "Well, I see you are going to shower, go ahead dear, there are plenty of towels in the bathroom. Come downstairs when you're ready!"

Candy thanked her and proceeded with her routine. Her shower was speedy; she put on a violet Jabot top and some black skinny jeans and made her way back to her room to see if Rosa was up and to put away her pajamas.

 ** _Hmph. Still sound asleep._** Candy said to herself as she entered the room. **_I'll go see if Jo needs any help with anything._**

The kitchen was bustling. Jo was cooking all types of things; pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast was toasting, and scones were baking.

"Hey Candy, can I get you anything?" Jo said in her usual optimistic tone.

"No, I'm okay Jo; thank you very much. Can I help with anything?" she asked.

"Aww, you're too sweet. How about you serve the juice? Leigh and Lysander like OJ, George and I will have coffee so don't you worry about that. And I don't know what you and Rosa would like." She finished. Candy just smiled and nodded. She went to the cabinet pulled out four glasses, and filled them with the tangy liquid. Candy set the drinks on the table and decided to set the plates and utensils as well.

"Oh, honey, thank you so much!" Jo expressed in an appreciative voice.

"No problem, can I do anything else?"

"Morning!" said George coming in from the back door with a bag full of groceries. He smiled at the two women and then stated, "Lovey, I brought the carrots you wanted." He planted a kiss on Jo's cheek.

"Thank you hubby!" Jo smiled.

 ** _They are so cute. They really love each other,_** thought Candy.

"Good morning!" Leigh and Rosa said in unison entering the kitchen in the same moment.

"Hello there!" George said, "where's your brother, sleeping?"

"He's coming, he'll be right down."

"I'm here!" Lysander exclaimed walking in. "Good morning everyone, hi Candy."

"Hi" Candy smiled.

"Ooooohoo, 'hi Candy.' Hello specifically to Candy!" George teased.

"Georgie! Stop that!" Josiane said lightheartedly swatting at his arm. Leigh and Rosa laughed as they took their seats. Candy laughed nervously, she looked at Lysander. He was avoiding making eye contact. They all sat down as per Jo's request and were about to dig in when the doorbell rang.

"Are you expecting someone love?" George asked his wife.

"No darling, I wonder who that can be." Jo started to get up.

"I'll get it." Lysander sated standing up and headed to the front door. He grasped the doorknob and turned it opening the door.

"Lysander? Is that you?" said the young woman on the doorstep.

"Yes." Lysander said a bit hesitant.

"It's me! Olive!" the girl said throwing her arms around Lysander in one swift motion.


	5. Chapter 5

**((A/N: Hey friends! I really tried to update daily but that became difficult! I applaud the people who can update their stories daily, it is a difficult feat! I just wanted to thank everyone for their patience and for their continued support! Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy! Please remember to R &R!))**

Chapter 5

"Olive? Olive Brantley?" Lysander said as the girl hung onto him.

"Yes! You remember! Wow, you're so tall now! " she said letting go, "I'm here with my folks, we're visiting my Uncle Miles; he mentioned that you were in the store last night. I had to come see you and your family!"

Lysander blankly stared at Olive; he was not sure what to say or do, "Please, come in."

He finally spoke.

"Thank you!" she said with a giddy smile as she bounced inside.

"Lysander? Are you coming back anytime soon?" George crooned from the kitchen.

Olive's eyes grew wide with excitement, "Is that them, can I go say hi?" she asked as she made her way to the kitchen without waiting for a response. Lysander followed behind.

"Hello! Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth, it's so nice to see you again. Oh gosh! I'm sorry I didn't want to interrupt your breakfast." Olive stated in a bit of a high-pitched voice.

Jo and George looked at each other as if they were trying to telepathically ask each other who this person was. Rosa looked at Candy with a confused expression; Candy met her gaze and simply shrugged.

"Mom, dad, do you remember Olive Brantley?" Lysander said.

"Oh, My goodness," Jo said as she stood up and walked towards the girl, "Olive, it's been so long. You've really grown! George, do you remember Lysander's old friend!" she smiled.

George stood up and went to his wife's side, "Yes, Miss Brantley! Hello, it's such a pleasure to see you again."

"Thanks, it's so nice to see you too! Is that Leigh back there?" Olive asked with a huge toothy grin.

Rosa's eyes suddenly narrowed. She disliked how this Olive person was smiling at _her_ Leigh. Candy gave her an 'it's fine, just relaxed' expression that she mastered ever since she met Rosalya. Leigh held Rosa's hand and stood up.

"Welcome back, Olive. Allow me to present my girlfriend, Rosalya," he gestured to Rosa.

"Hi!" Olive greeted.

"Hello." said Rosa.

Candy internally laughed at the exchange between them. She knew Rosa well enough to figure out when someone rubbed her the wrong way. Candy decided to end the building tension between Rosa and Olive.

"Hi there, I'm Candy," she started.

"Oh yes, my apologies, this is-"

Olive interrupted Lysander, "you're girlfriend?" she ask with a twinge of worry in her tone.

Candy was left speechless as she looked at Lysander's eyes searching for an answer.

"No. Rosalya invited her to come along for the weekend." Lysander calmly explained.

 ** _Whoa, that hurt!_** Candy thought. She turned towards Rosa and made a 'what was that!?' face. Rosalya gave her a sympathetic nudge.

"Would you like to stay for breakfast?" Jo suggested to Olive.

"That's such a nice offer, but I have to get going. I told my cousin that I'd spend some time with him. But thank you, though!" Olive chirped, "It was nice seeing everyone. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye!" the family said in unison.

"Lysander, walk me out?" Olive said flirtatiously. Rosa's jaw dropped as she looked at Candy. Candy just stared at the floor, her face was somber.

* * *

After breakfast the boys cleared the table. Jo and George went to sit on the porch swing for a while; it was something they did every Friday morning. Rosa took this opportunity to drag Candy back to their room so they could discuss what happened.

"Okay, here's what I can do. When Leigh and I are alone I can ask him about this Olive," she air quoted the name, "and get all the intel possible, then come tell you what I've discovered," she plotted sitting down on the bed.

Candy chuckled as she plopped down next to her best friend, "Thanks Rosa, but I don't think we need to become covert agents to find out some details."

"What do you mean? What are you going to do?" asked Rosa incredulously.

"The unthinkable…" Candy paused for dramatic effect, "I'm going to ask Lysander, and then I will obtain the intel!"

Rosa let out a long sigh, "Wow, you're so boring; my way would have been more interesting."

"I agree," Candy laughed, "but my way is easier!" she countered.

"Sure. I can't argue there. All you have to do is flutter those doe eyes of yours and Lys-baby will tell you everything!" Rosa said teasingly. Candy blushed and sarcastically rolled her eyes at Rosa.

"Don't act all coy! I saw you two last night getting nice and cozy on the couch!"

"What?! You saw that!" Candy said, shocked by this revelation.

"Yeah! I came down to let you know you could go to bed. What do I find? You and Lys completely entangle in each other's arms. I didn't have the heart to wake you two; after all, you both looked so content."

Candy smiled; she just couldn't stop smiling at the memory of last night. "We fell asleep."

"So my plan is working!" Rosa stated proudly. That's when Candy's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

"It just… well, Lysander… he quickly told Olive that we're not… I-I'm not his girlfriend. No hesitation on his part." Candy solemnly answered.

"No, Candy!" Rosa crooned empathetically. "Lysander is a matter-of-fact kind of guy, you know that. We was just stating the facts as they are right now, it doesn't mean anything." Rosa hugged Candy; she wanted to comfort her friend. Candy smiled and thanked Rosa. They were about to leave the room when someone knocked.

"Love? May I come in?" Leigh said from the other side of the door. Rosa sprang up and opened the door.

"Hello ladies, would you like to join us on a walk to the lake. It's a lovely morning and the lake is nearby?" he asked with kindness in his voice.

"Love to!" Rosa responded, giving her boyfriend a quick kiss.

"Candy? What about you?" Leigh said.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

* * *

Leigh and Rosalya were a few steps ahead, hand-in-hand. They were chatting, laughing and acting in typical couple behavior. Trailing behind them Lysander and Candy walked in silence.

"How are you feeling, is your head okay?" asked Lysander after the extended silence.

"Yes, thanks. See, no bump or bruise!" Candy pointed to her head.

"That's good." He sighed.

Candy was not sure how to begin this conversation. She wanted to be as casual as possible and was secretly hoping it would come up organically. She decided 'what the hell' and started the conversation the best way she could.

"It must be nice being back here. I mean, I know you visit as often as you can… what I mean, is… it must be nice seeing old friends?" she lightly trailed off.

"Yes, it is nice." Lysander briefly responded.

 ** _Dammit. Really? That's all you say._** Candy thought in slight frustration.

"Yeah, Olive seems nice. It must be weird seeing her again. I mean I remember when Kentin came back, I didn't even recognize him. It definitely threw me for a loop. Plus, he wasn't even gone that long. Not that I know how long it's been since you've seen Olive, I'm just assuming…" Candy began to ramble.

Lysander quietly looked at Candy with an unreadable expression. "Why are you thinking about Kentin?"

"What?" Candy asked notably annoyed.

"Nothing. Uh—were you asking something in particular?" Lysander said discerningly.

"I guess, just…" Candy started, not sure how to ask, "Who is Olive?"

Lysander didn't make eye contact with Candy. He kept looking straight ahead, and continued to put one foot in front of the other. "She is an old friend. We were close as children but then her father got a job out of town and she moved away. We were kids so keeping in contact didn't really cross our minds. Time passed, I moved in with Leigh. Then this morning, she showed up."

Candy felt there was more to his story, but didn't want to press the issue.

The foursome spent the rest of the morning by the lake. Leigh and Rosa held hands, laughed, played and generally enjoyed each other's company. On the other spectrum Lysander and Candy were pretty quiet and distant the whole time. Something was certainly going on.

They made it back to the house around noon. Lysander made a bee-line towards his room, while Leigh and Rosa decided to play cards, they asked Candy to join but she declined.

"No really! I'm fine, I've actually wanted to try out that porch swing since I saw it." She explained.

"Okay Candy, but don't hesitate to come back should you want some company." Leigh told her, Rosa nodded.

She thanked them and proceeded to the porch. She took in her surroundings; it was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon. The yellow daisies Jo had so carefully and lovingly planted on the windowsills smelled divine. The sun was high and bright in the clear blue sky, and there was a nice breeze to keep her cool. Candy began to swing gently. Her thoughts began to reel. **_Why is Lysander being so distant? Who is Olive? What does he mean 'they were close as children?' How close? Is he happy to see her?_**

The front door creaked open causing Candy to come back to reality. George popped out.

"Hello Miss Candy!" He smiled, "I don't mean to interrupt, I was just bringing you some peach iced tea; I make it myself!" He held out the glass for Candy to take.

"Wow, thank you!" Candy said and took a sip, "Delicious!"

"You think! I'm glad. I learned to make it years upon years ago," George said as he took a seat next to Candy, "Peach is Jo's favorite!"

"Aww, that's sweet!" Candy responded.

"Yeah, well… She is my sweetheart," He smiled. They sat quietly swinging for a few moments. "I see you and Lysander both enjoy some solitude now and then."

"O-oh, I just didn't feel like playing cards." Candy explained timidly.

George looked at the girl, "Miss Candy, please tell me if I am overstepping, but this wouldn't have anything to do with the sudden appearance of Olive… would it."

Candy couldn't believe it. Was it _that_ obvious? "Um, no," she lied; "Olive seems nice. And seeing someone from your past is always a little strange, right?" Candy said trying to convince herself more than anything.

George laughed, "Okay. Well, in case you were pondering such a subject… I, too, was trying to remember her. I may have lied about knowing her during breakfast!" He fake whispered, making Candy giggle.

"Then, it finally came back to me earlier." He stated, Candy was hanging on to every word at this point, "She… I'm not boring you, am I?"

"What! No," Candy almost screamed, she blushed at her outburst and tried to compose herself, "I-I mean… no. Not at all," she grinned.

George laughed a big loud roaring laugh. "Good! I'll continue. She and Lysander went to school together when they were little. They used the same bus stop, every morning they would wait for that bus together. I recall Lysander having an affinity for that girl; he even drew a bunny for her once, to show his feelings. He spent all night drawing it, he filled an entire notebook until he got it just right; trying to make it perfect. He wanted to give it to her the next morning."

"That's cute," Candy said genuinely enchanted by the story, "what happened?"

"Olive thought it was dumb. She didn't like the bunny." George finished.

"Oh no, Lysander must have been crushed; I know I would have been at that age." Candy said aloud, but was mostly talking to herself.

"Yes, Lysander has always been someone who feels very deeply; even as a child. But the kid bounced back pretty quickly, especially after she moved away. He forgot all about her soon enough. Then he went to live with Leigh. He made a best friend, Castiel. He loved his school, his classmates, his new look. Sooner or later, we started hearing about a girl named Candy during our weekly phone calls." George wrapped up, nudging Candy with his elbow.

Candy felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. This conversation answered all her questions in one way or another, and even made her feel encouraged for the future. She put her hand on the old man's shoulder, "Thank you, George."

"For what?" he giggle, "I didn't do anything. Now come along dear, let's go inside for refills and for some lunch. We'll be off the festival soon!"

"Okay!" Candy stood up with a bounce in her step. She was out of the fog she felt earlier that morning and was feeling giddy.

"Miss Candy, one more thing," George said before she could open the door.

"Yes?"

"Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt love. It's a quote from one of the books Lysander loves reading. It's just something to keep in mind."

 ** _Shakespeare._** Candy thought to herself then smiled up at George, "Understood, thanks George. Let's go inside, my tea is all gone and I'd love some more!"


	6. Chapter 6

**((A/N: Inspiration struck me like lightning! For those of you following along, I wanted to say thank you! I am eternally grateful!))**

Chapter 6

Lunch was relatively uneventful. Rosa and Leigh monopolized the conversation much to Candy's relief. They told stories about how they met, their first date, peppered with something funny or embarrassing that happened in their relationship. Candy laughed along with her friends. Her mind was settled and she was relaxed. At the end of lunch offered to wash the dishes, Jo was about to protest when Candy jumped in front of the kitchen sink squeezing pink goop out of the dish soap bottle onto a thick cellulous sponge.

"Candy, may I speak with you?" Lysander stood behind her as she put the last dish on the drying rack.

"Of course!" she smiled at Lysander. He took her by the hand and led her outside towards the backyard.

They stopped underneath the big tree in the backyard. Lysander looked at Candy, she met his gaze. Her expression was soft but neutral; his was a tad more concerning.

"I want to apologize for my behavior this morning. It is not my intention to make you feel uncomfortable in any way…"

Candy stopped him mid sentence, "No need for apologies, Lysander." He looked at her skeptically. She looped her arm around his to assure him. "I promise." Lysander sighed, evidently relieved.

"So, is this your big tree?" Candy asked.

"My what?"

"Your tree. When we arrived last night your mom was asking where you were; your dad said you were under the big tree, like it was something you usually did." Candy explained.

Lysander chuckled, "I suppose I do spend a significant amount of time here. It's where I like to write."

"You picked a nice place," she said looking around. This made Lysander smile.

"Ooooooh, I am so sorry! I don't want to impose on a moment, but we're leaving for the festival. Your mom wanted me to come tell you." Rosa said giving the pair a cheeky smile.

Candy turned to walk with Rosa when Lysander held back, "we'll be right there." Lysander told Rosa. Taking the hint, Rosa nodded and left them alone.

"Is there something else Lysander, I meant it when I said you don't have to apologize." Candy told Lysander.

He smiled at her. In one swift motion embraced her. Candy reciprocated his hug without reluctance. They let each other go, Candy was delighted. She smiled at Lysander, "let's go, I'm excited to see the festival."

* * *

The entrance to the festival was spectacular. A huge wooden sign was hung on the metal gateway in the front of the festival. The letters were carved into the wood and painted in sparkling silver paint that read "67th Annual Harvest Festival." Big bundles of brightly colored balloons decorated the sides of the sign. People (locals and tourist) made their way inside the gate. The space where the festival took place was enormous; it had to be considering the various rides, games and attractions inside the festival. The very first thing Candy noticed was the tall ferris wheel. **_Whoa, I can't wait till its dark out so and the Ferris wheel is completely lit up. May-be I'll ask Lysander to ride it with me._** Candy mused to herself.

"Alright youths, enjoy yourselves there's so much to do here. Georgie and I are off," Jo said with a skip in her step.

"Where are you going?" Rosa asked obviously curious.

"To the pie contest, I made a rhubarb pie this year!" Jo exclaimed proudly, "We're far too old for all the games and excitement, but this is a tradition."

"Good luck, Jo. I hope you win." Candy chimed in.

"Thank you! Fingers crossed!" she smiled as her and George waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd leaving the foursome behind.

"What would you two like to see first?" Leigh asked the girls.

"Let's go to the carousel swings!" Rosa yelled in a tone equal to that of an excited 5 year old. The rest of the gang laughed and followed her to the coveted swings. Lysander walked right next to Candy; their arms brushed a couple of times, but neither of them minded.

"Lysander!" A distant voice said. Lysander thought Candy was speaking to him, so he leaned down closer to her.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What?" Candy said confused.

"I thought I heard you say something," Lysander smiled while making direct eye contact with Candy.

She looked right back at his heterochromatic eyes and momentarily blushed, "I didn't say anything."

Lysander gently placed his arm on her shoulder, "You did. I heard my named." Candy simply smiled and gazed at him. Then she heard it too.

"Lysander!"

Candy turned her head trying to find the source of the call, "Oh wait, someone is calling your name."

Lysander reluctantly tore his eyes off of Candy's face to see who was calling him.

"Lys, over there" Leigh motioned with his head.

Lysander turned around to find Olive running towards them.

"Lysander," Olive said slightly out of breath when she reached the group; "Wow, you're hard to catch up to" she laughed

"Good afternoon Miss Olive." Lysander quipped in his usual monotone voice.

"It's nice that we ran into each other, can I join you guys? My cousin is working some games so I don't' really have anyone else to hang out with?" Olive squeaked.

Lysander looked at Candy reluctantly, then at his brother searching for an answer. At that moment Rosalya decided to add her two cents into the conversation.

"Okay, but you might be riding some rides alone. You see, you make us an uneven number." She said blankly without remorse. Candy palmed her forehead and tried not to laugh. She knew Rosa was blunt and actually loved her for it; however, she felt a pang of guilt knowing Rosa was being harsh to Olive on her behalf.

"Oh honey, you don't need an even number for swings." Olive said, her voice dripping with insolence.

This reaction caused Rosa's jaw to drop. Lysander knew the tell-tale signs of Rosa's bubbling anger and decided to step into the conversation, coming to the conclusion that he was always a gentleman first. "Yes, Olive. We don't mind if you join us."

"Thanks Lysander," Olive emphasized his name, as she stared Rosa down.

Everyone stayed quiet for a few minutes. The line moved, they shuffled forward, but no one made eye contact. Candy took the opportunity to study the girl, and make a few observations.

Olive was about the same height as Rosalya, if not a tad taller. She had a kind enough face. Her hair was light brown that loosely curled down to her shoulders. She was wearing black denim shorts and a busty top, something that Castiel would probably enjoy looking at, but nothing extremely provocative. Her skin was the same as her name: olive. Overall she was a beautiful girl, there was no denying it. Her eyes, however, did give Candy a small shudder. Olive's eyes were dark, charcoal black to be exact. Something about them seemed vacant to Candy.

 ** _Enough of this nonsense,_** Candy thought to herself. She was desperate to see who this person was; Candy took the 'straight from the horse's mouth' approach.

"So, Olive… It must feel great to be in your old home town?"

Olive looked at Candy with vacuous eyes. "Yeah its fun seeing being back, especially since Lysander is here too, it can be just like old times! Right Lysander," Olive said. She leaned into Lysander and ran her hand up and down his arms.

Lysander immediately stepped away. "Olive, while it is like 'old times' we do not have to act like children." Lysander shook off her hand carefully.

Olive's expressive face was shocked, "did I do something wrong. Please don't be upset!"

Lysander opened his mouth to answer Olive, but Rosa beat him to the punch.

"Sweetheart," she began, "You did nothing wrong, Lysander simply does not like being touched. Call it a quirk! Still, quirks aside, you've never swatted away Candy."

"Rosa—" Lysander said in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"He didn't swat me!" Olive protested.

"May-be swat was a strong word," Leigh interjected, "but Rosa is right about Candy, Lys. It must be because you two are so close." He finished his sentence nonchalantly.

Rosa giggled, and hugged Leigh. She looked at Olive who was clearly trying to conceal her anger towards Rosa.

"Oh, come on! We're next!" Candy pointed to the moving line. She welcomed the distraction. **_Luckily no one can talk on the swings,_** she thought to herself.

* * *

The initial awkwardness of Olive hanging out with them had worn off. Mostly because Olive had been relatively quiet after the conversation near the swings. They continued to enjoy various rides around the festival, after some time they sat down at a table by the food stands for a while to catch their breaths. Rosa dragged Candy to the restroom, mainly so they could talk; while Leigh was in need of refreshments, he left to buy some water. Lysander and Olive sat quietly waiting for the rest to come back.

"Lysander?" Olive started.

"Yes."

"I was really excited when my cousin mentioned that you were in town. I couldn't wait to see you."

"Thank you Miss Olive, I'm flattered."

"But you're not happy to see me, are you?"

Lysander sighed as he searched for an adequate explanation, "I was surprised to see you. Honestly, I was surprise you came looking for me at all. It's nice to see you're well, but I haven't thought about our childhood in a very long time."

"It's because of the bunny drawing isn't it?"

"Of course not, we were both young. I harbor absolutely no bitterness towards you." Lysander said calmly.

"Lysander. I am sorry. I really did care about you when we were younger. I still do. I was hoping we could be friends?" She looked at Lysander with a pleading expression.

"Olive. You do not need to apologize to me. We can be friends, if that is your wish."

Leigh came back and caught the end of their conversation. "Rosa and Candy haven't arrived yet?" he asked handing them each a water bottle.

"Not yet" Olive responded quickly.

Leigh looked around searching for their missing party.

"Hello, we're back!" Rosa bounced to Leigh's side.

"Oh, there you are love. Here's a water bottle," Leigh handed the bottle to Rosa, "I have one for you too Candy." He smiled as he gave her the bottle.

"Thank you, Leigh." Candy sat down. "It's getting dark; I can't wait to see the festival all lit up." She clapped. Lysander smiled at her warmly. "May-be we should ride the ferris wheel next? It'll be an amazing view" Candy suggested.

"What a great idea Candace!" Olive shrieked.

"Candy," Rosa corrected her.

"Oops, my mistake," Olive laughed dismissively, "but someone will have to go with my, I'm a little afraid of heights. How about it, buddy?" she asked Lysander.

"If you're afraid of heights, maybe it's best you skip the ferris wheel." Leigh stated plainly.

"No I really want to see the sights, plus I won't be afraid if Lysander rides with me!" she whined.

"That's idiotic." Rosa snorted.

"Well I didn't ask your opinion Rosa!" Olive responded with anger.

"Hey, hey, stop." Candy shouted, "Let's just go get in line, it's pretty long. I guess everyone wants to see the sunset. We'll figure it out when we get to the ride." she finished in a compromising tone.

"Fine." Olive huffed. "Can you show me where the bathroom is?" she looked at Candy.

"It's over there around the corner," Candy pointed.

"Where? Do you mind showing me?" she asked.

Rosa rolled her eyes, "oh my god! Do you need a chaperon?"

Candy tried to suppress her laughter. **_I love you, Rosa. You're the best_** she thought. Candy saw right through Olive's ploy to get her alone. But her curiosity nagged her. She wanted to hear this girl out.

"Yeah I'll take you," Candy said.

Olive (who was scowling at Rosa) looked at Candy with some surprise, and then she gave her a toothy grin, "Let's go."

Candy stood up and felt a hand tug her back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rosa demanded.

"Trust me. I got this" she winked at her friend.

Olive and Candy walked in silence until they rounded the corner.

"Listen, Mandy," Olive began.

"Candy."

"Whatever," Olive rolled her eyes, "I'm sure your best friend is being all cut throat because of you, so you can drop the coy, 'I can get along with anybody' act."

 ** _Here I was thinking we can have a mature conversation, and she goes straight to being my enemy,_** Candy thought to herself. "It's not an act. I had no reason to not be nice to you. Unless you're planning on changing that, I think we can tolerate each other just fine."

"Whoa, look at miss high and mighty. Is that how you _think_ you can make Lysander like you? Trust me Mandy, it won't work." Olive said in a snide tone.

"It's Candy," Candy said already exasperated by the conversation, "allow me to explain something, whatever competition you think we're having… we're not-."

"Did you know I am Lysander's first love?" Olive interrupted.

"I know you hated a bunny he drew you" Candy shot back.

"That's right; he gave _me_ a love bunny. You see… he and I were close. Now that we're older, may-be it's time to rekindle an old flame."

"Well, Lysander and _I_ are close. Very close. So you can blow out that flame, there's no use for it anymore." Candy walked away, thoroughly annoyed with the conversation. She made her way back to Leigh, Rosa, and Lysander.

"Let's go get in line," Candy said, Olive was on her way back.

"Alright!" Rosa said. She grabbed Leigh's hand and walked towards the ferris wheel.

Lysander pulled Candy aside, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Candy quickly responded.

Lysander shifted uncomfortably, "Candy, I'm sensing some frustration on your part."

"I just… I guess Olive doesn't like me very much," she admitted.

Lysander bent his elbow and drew it near his jaw, one eyebrow rose. It was his classic 'questioning look.' "I don't understand, from what I've seen Rosa and Olive are the ones not getting along. There's no reason for it, much less for you and Olive not to get along."

"She just doesn't like how close we are."

"You and Rosa?"

 ** _Really Lysander? How are you not getting this?_** Candy was visibly getting annoyed, "No, she doesn't like how close _you and I_ are," she clarified.

"She knows were friends, why would this bother her?"

"Come on Lysander," Candy's voice rose, "she likes you! She wants to be with you. Because of your love bunny!"

"Love bunny?" Lysander was thoroughly confused before finally making the connection, "You know about the drawing?"

"What, yeah…"

"Did she tell you?" Lysander asked, some anger laced his words.

"No, you're dad did."

"You asked my dad about this?" Lysander's voice was cold.

"It just came up," Candy explained.

"You could have just asked me, Candy. I don't understand why you're speaking to everyone else expect me about this."

Lysander's statement made Candy's blood boil. She did ask Lysander, he didn't want to talk about Olive, so she didn't press the issue. She didn't even believe it was a real issue, especially after their heart to heart under the big tree.

"I did ask you about it Lysander," Candy was yelling now, "you didn't say much! Do you remember?"

Leigh, Rosa and Olive watched the scene from a few feet away. Olive decided it was the perfect moment to intrude.

"Lysander! Sandy, come on! Let's go on the ferris wheel" she yelled from afar.

Candy was seeing red at this point. "It's CANDY. Candy! How hard is that to remember? CANDY!"

Candy stormed off, she was done with Olive's games and she didn't want to continue to fight with Lysander. Lysander and Rosa called after her, but she walked briskly, determined to get lost in the crowd.

She accomplished her goal about 15 minutes later. Her phone rang like crazy so she turned it off. She sat alone, between a ring toss game and a balloon popping game and tried to calm herself to no avail. The sound of popping balloons did not help her case. She looked over her shoulder to examine the stand.

 ** _Popping some balloons sounds pretty great right now._** She walked over to the game stand but no one was there.

"Hello?" she said, searching for an employee.

"Sorry, I'm here! I'm here!" said a boy stepping inside the stand.

Candy smiled as she reached in her pocket for some money.

"Hey, I know you! Aren't you Lysander's girlfriend?" the boy asked.

"W-what?" Candy couldn't believe what she heard.

"Yeah, you are! Oh, sorry! That probably sounds weird. I used to go to school with Lysander and saw you two at my dad's store yesterday. Hi, I'm Ren Brantley." He said as hr extended his hand for Candy to shake.


	7. Chapter 7

**((A/N: Hello friends! I am so sorry for the wait, I've been working and just busy in general. On top of that, I really wanted this chapter to be near-perfection. I slaved over it, really trying to get it exactly where I wanted it to go. I truly hope you enjoy it, of course reviews are always welcome because I do want this fic to be something fans think is worth the read! Thank you, thank you, thank you, and did I mention thank you! Please enjoy!))**

Chapter 7

"I'm Olive's cousin… my dad owns the grocery store." Ren explained to a bewildered Candy.

"Olive's cousin?" Candy uttered at last as she gave Ren a handshake. Candy inspected the boy. Ren had green eyes, the type of green eyes that could make the most perfect emeralds jealous. His eyes were complimentary to his ruffled auburn hair, strong jaw, and charming smile. In Candy's humble opinion, his smile was his most memorable feature. His smile was a ray of sunshine, and Candy was getting sunburned. "I'm Candy."

"Candy," he repeated after her, "I thought Olive went over this morning, you two must have met?"

"Yes, we met." Candy said indifferently, instantly flashing back to the awful discussion with Lysander.

Ren gave the girl a half-grin and a throaty chuckle, "ouch! I wouldn't want to get on your bad side, killer."

Candy halfheartedly rolled her eyes and then inspected the list of rules taped to the game's table.

"I get 5 darts for a dollar?" asked Candy.

Ren crossed arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at Candy, as if he were trying to come up with some conclusion about her. After a brief moment, he inhaled slightly, then spoke; "Alright killer, I'm going to do you a favor because you've piqued my interest and it's a pretty slow night. I guess no one is really hyped up at the chance to win a tiny bottle of bubbles," he joked; his sunshine smile forming on his lips.

Candy eyed him quizzically, "What favor?"

"No charge! The catch being you and I have a little contest. A 'pop off' is what I like to call it. We each take turns trying to pop a balloon; for each balloon popped an answer to a question is earned!" Ren finished.

"Hmmm… I get to pop some balloons for free; I don't understand what you get out of the deal." Candy stated.

"Humor me," Ren half-shrugged.

Candy took a deep breath, "Okay."

"Great! But I do have rules!"

"Rules? The game seems self-explanatory..."

"Yes, but remember the answers can't be one word. There has to be something enticing, there must be an explanation." Ren explained.

"Alright, I can do that," smiled Candy.

"Excellent," exclaimed Ren as he exited the booth to come to Candy's side, darts in hand. "I'll go first, just to show you the ropes. Okay killer?"

"Thanks, I appreciate the lesson!" Candy laughed.

Ren grabbed a dart and aimed at a shiny red balloon.

 **Pop!**

"Yes!" Ren shouted, "Here's my question: Are you Lysander's girlfriend?"

Candy's eyes wandered down, "No, w-we're just friends."

Ren pursed his lips before he looked satisfied with Candy's answer, "You're up, killer."

Candy's eyes finally met his; she smiled and excitedly reached for a dart. She sent it flying through the air, no aiming, no hesitation, just let it glide.

 **Pop!**

"Woo-hoo!" Candy danced in place, "Why did you think Lysander and I were... t-together?"

"Like I said, you two were in the store together. You two just looked… together."

Candy nodded and handed him a dart so they could continue the game.

 **(Ren's turn) Pop!**

"So killer, you and Olive didn't get along did you?"

"I wanted to get along with her, but she... didn't."

"Yeeeeahhh…" Ren elongated his word, "that sounds like her."

 **(Candy's turn) Pop!**

"Were you and Lysander friends?"

"We were friendly. We didn't really interact with each other, but when we did for school projects and such, we were chummy."

 **(Ren's turn) Pop!**

Ren hesitated for a brief moment, "Candy… how come you came to my booth, alone. I mean… why isn't Lysander here with you?"

"Ren, that's two questions, I'm not sure that's allowed," Candy teased evading both questions.

"C'mon Candy," Ren persisted.

"We had an argument," Candy meekly admitted. She gazed at the dart in her hand, and then threw it to the balloon wall.

 **Fwap!**

She missed.

 _Sigh._ "Darn."

"It's okay killer. I give you a freebee." Ren looked at her.

"Why did you play this game with me?" Candy asked sincerely curious.

"Well… you seemed hurt. Upset, really. And, that wasn't okay for whatever reason. Normally I don't pry into people's lives, but; it was such a drastic change from the first time I saw you at the store. You were… so content, so joyful. You were laughing, I remember. It was contagious."

Candy didn't know what to say. She didn't expect this level of kindness from an almost stranger. She lightly slapped his arm, "Let me help you set up more balloons."

Ren nodded, "Thanks."

* * *

One by one they filled up balloons and set them on the balloon wall. Candy grabbed a yellow balloon and filled it to its full capacity; she had one spot left on her side of the wall before she was done. She reached for the bare spot but it was too high. Candy tried again, standing on the tips of her toes, but it was still too high.

Ren noticed her struggle and chuckled quietly to himself, "I'll help you out killer." As soon as he offered he was behind Candy, he took the balloon from her reaching arms to attach it to the wall. Candy turned around, but she was wedged between the balloons and Ren's broad chest. He looked down at her, but didn't back away immediately. They just stared at each other, before Ren gave her his sunshine smile.

"C-Candy, I've been searching for you." Lysander said, disappointment written all over his face.

Candy looked at Lysander as soon as she heard his voice.

Ren took a step backwards, "Hey Lysander! It's been a while. It's nice to see you again!"

"Hello, Rene." Lysander responded completely stone-faced.

 **REWIND**

 **—** **Lysander's POV—**

"I did ask you about it Lysander," yelled Candy, "you didn't say much! Do you remember?"

Lysander stood silent and pensive, **_I don't know how to explain this to her. I should have been the one to tell her the whole story. She's becoming quite upset, what did Olive say to her?_**

Olive called out for them. **_Did she just say Sandy,_** wondered Lysander.

Candy yelled at Olive, she was completely fed up. She turned around and stormed off.

"Candy!" Lysander called after her, "Wait! Please Candy, come back." Lysander tried to follow her; Rosa was on his heels as well, calling out for her friend. But she walked away quickly and disappeared into the crowd.

 ** _Where is she?_** Lysander was becoming concerned. He looked all around, repeatedly calling out her name. After a few minutes of searching he tried calling her, she didn't answer. He made his way back towards the Ferris wheel when he heard Rosa's voice yelling. **_What could possibly be going on now,_** he asked himself as he walked towards Rosa, Leigh and Olive.

"Are you daft?! Candy isn't a hard name to remember Olive." Rosa retorted to an already angry Olive.

"It was an honest mistake, she obviously overreacted. No need to yell at me about it again Rosalya," Olive saw Lysander coming, "Lys, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I did!" she feigned innocence.

"You loathsome bitc-"

"Rosa." Lysander interrupted before things escalated, "Can you please call Candy; she is not answering my calls."

"We've both tried, Lys. She ultimately turned off her phone." Leigh calmly explained, "We'll go look for her. I'll call you if we get in touch with her." Leigh held Rosa's hand and they left.

Lysander stood there, staring at his phone. **_Please call me, Candy._**

"She probably just needed some time. It was pretty embarrassing the way she blew up," Olive stated.

 ** _Olive's presence has been irritating this evening. I should say good night,_** Lysander thought as he was beginning to feel a headache. "Olive, what did you and Candy discuss?"

"Hmmm? Oh nothing really. I just wanted to know where the bathroom was when she told me to stay away from you."

Lysander grimaced, "that is very unlike her; I know her very well."

"I'm sure you do Lys, but that's what happened. If you want my opinion-"

"I do not," Lysander added bluntly, "I trust you can get home on your own Miss Olive, farewell." Lysander walked away, leaving a rather shocked Olive yelling for him to walk her home. He completely ignored her.

 ** _I have to find Candy,_** Lysander decided. He walked around the festival aimlessly. He was trying his best to catch a glimpse of Candy, hoping to find her so they could sort things out. He circled the Ferris wheel a few times, but did not find her. He walked the entirely of the festival, each time growing more and more concerned. Lysander sat down to check his phone for the millionth time when he finally saw her. **_What is she doing in a game booth,_** he asked himself before quickly pushing the thought aside. He practically ran to the booth, when he saw a familiar face get very close to Candy.

 ** _Is that Rene Brantley?_** Lysander walked up to the booth. **_She doesn't even know I'm right here, right in front of her._**

"C-Candy, I've been searching for you." Both Candy and Rene turned when they heard his voice, Candy stood there; not saying a word.

"Hey Lysander, it's been a while. It's nice to see you again!" Ren answered first.

"Hello, Rene." Lysander responded completely stone-faced.

There was a long pause of silence. Ren felt the tension between Lysander and Candy; it made the air thick and heavy. In an attempt to change the mood Ren kept talking, "So Lysander, what happened to your clothing? Last time I saw you, you looked like you came straight out of the 17th century or something." Ren lightly laughed.

No one said anything.

"I mean, it was pretty cool. I'm not making fun of you or anything." Ren babbled.

Candy decided to put him out of his misery, "He still wears his Victorian clothing every day. He just changed out of it to help his dad out with some chores."

Ren smiled at Candy, "Cool, good to know." He nodded.

"Yup, you didn't even have to pop a balloon for it," Candy joked.

"Hey killer, I gave you a free one first! It's only fair," laughed Ren.

Lysander stood there silently, and simply watched the interaction. **_Killer, he gave her a nickname? They have a private joke, how is that possible; they haven't spent much time together,_** Lysander's headache was intensifying.

"How's your brother?" Ren asked Lysander.

"He is well, thank you."

"I haven't seen him yet. Say hi for me. He also wears old-timey clothing. You two pull it off," Ren said in a friendly manner.

"I will pass along your greeting." Lysander bowed his head, "Candy, may I escort you home?"

"Sure."

"Allow me to call Rosa and Leigh to inform them I've found you." Lysander stepped away to make the phone call.

Ren eyed Candy, "You both obviously want the same thing."

"Excuse me?" Candy said, blushing.

"My advice… just tell him, killer. He most likely needs to hear it first before making a move. There's no better confirmation than it coming straight from you." Ren stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Candy rolled her eyes and exasperated, "Thanks Ren. This was fun."

"Don't mention it. Came back tomorrow, we can pop more balloons."

Candy laughed, "Goodnight." She waved and made her way towards Lysander.

 **—** **Candy's POV—**

 ** _May-be Ren is right. I should tell him, that way he will know… and… and…_** Candy couldn't finish her thought.

Lysander had finished his conversation and hung up the phone. He faced Candy, "Ready?"

"Lysander… I—"

"Let's go." Lysander began to walk.

Candy sighed, **_oh boy! This will be fun,_** she thought as she rolled her eyes and caught up. They walked in complete silence the entire way home. Candy glance at Lysander occasionally. His face was emotionless. They arrived to Lysander's home, all of the lights were off, the door was locked, not a person in sight.

"Looks like we are the first to get home," Lysander stated.

"Let's sit on the swing and wait?" Candy suggested. Lysander nodded and let Candy sit first before taking his seat right next to her; they swung gently for a few minutes.

Lysander was frigid, "You seemed to have enjoyed Ren's company." He said passively.

"He's a nice guy. He mentioned you two went to school together before you moved."

"We did," answered Lysander, "I'm glad you found someone after you left. I was beginning to worry about you being alone and upset, but you did just fine on your own. It didn't look at you missed Rosa or Leigh… or me." Lysander mumbled the end of his sentence.

"That's not true," Candy touched his arm, "I am sorry I walked off, I was mad. Olive was a bit irritating… but, you seem very annoyed at me at the time, I couldn't believe it. I didn't realize Olive was that important to you"

Lysander swiftly laced his hand in hers, "She's not important to me Candy, I am very sorry for making you feel this way... I am so mad at myself for not telling you the truth earlier, it was wrong of me to take out my frustrations on you. But I swear to you, she is a silly boyhood crush, you're… well, you're…" he began losing his nerve. "You're very important to me."

Candy smiled at him, **_what is he so afraid of?_** she asked herself. **_What I am so afraid of?!_**

Candy let go of his hand and stood up, Lysander replicated her motion. She stood right in front of him, and looked him straight in his heterochromatic eyes, "You're very important to me to Lysander. I guess you could even say I really care about you… a lot. I suppose that is why it didn't take Rosa very long to convince me to come this weekend; the possibility of spending time with you made me very happy... I was actually hoping that… um…" her confidence became shaky, but she continued, "We could be more than friends, because I l-l-love—"

"Hello kids!" George cheerfully greeted walking side by side with Jo, interrupting Candy's speech "Back from the festival already?" Lysander looked at Candy, she didn't know what to do anymore than he did,

"Mom, Dad! Hello. Uhhhh, yes, we came back early." Lysander responded in brief but rapid sentences.

"Are you okay, son? You looked surprised," Jo mentioned as she unlocked the front door.

"Yes I'm fine, "he said reassuringly to his Mother.

"Come inside you two, we'll have some cocoa," Jo smiled.

"Actually we were just talking about some things, we will be right in." Lysander quickly dismissed.

"Don't be silly my boy!," George said to his son, "it's getting cold out here, you would want sweet Candy to get sick right? Let's go in Miss Candy," he smiled sweetly.

Lysander was flustered, Candy watched him and giggled, "Let's go in," she whispered looping her arm in his. Lysander sighed in what sounded like relief.

"After you," he smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

**((A/N: It has been so long! But I promise I haven't given up on the story! I truly want to thank everyone for your patience! I have been trying to make these chapters the best that they can be and really want to make fans happy! I will never stop saying thank you because I really do mean it! My personal life [work, friends, family] has been crazy, so I love all of you who have stuck around and have been immensely kind and supportive. Please enjoy!))**

Chapter 8

"Let's see, Mrs. Howell made blueberry. And the young one, what was her name dear," George asked across the room.

"Vanessa," Jo's voice echoed from the other room.

"Yes, yes! Vanessa. She tried classic apple pie. Unfortunately the poor thing burned the entire crust to a charcoal crisp" George continued. He was at the 11th minute mark of his story.

Candy and Lysander were sitting on the couch listening to George's story about the pie contest. They nodded along, smiled and laughed in all the appropriate places. However, in all honesty neither of them were paying much attention. Candy kept thinking about her resent confession, she would steal glances of Lysander; he would glance back and both of them immediately looked away blushing. Jo came in from the kitchen and handed everyone there hot cocoa before taking her seat next to her husband. They both continued with the delightful story of Jo's well-earned 1st place ribbon in the pie contest.

"Candy I hope you like marshmallows in your cocoa?" Jo smiled.

"Yes, I sure do, thank you," Candy replied. She smiled politely at Jo. In reality, her head was a foggy mess, **_What am I supposed to do? What is Lysander thinking right now?! Did he understand where I was going with the conversation? I DID say love. Pffft, you stammered the word love, you stammering fool. Stammer or no stammer, I still said it a he still heard it… right?_** Candy's thoughts were completely taking over her mind.

George accomplished a total of 20 minutes of story-telling when it came to the end, Lysander knew this because he was staring at the clock on the far wall behind his father, wanting the story to end so he and Candy could talk.

"Congratulations Jo! You earned it!" Candy smiled after hearing the victory that brought the story to an end.

"Yes Mother, it was well earned, and well told," Lysander said smiling at his father.

"Thank you both," Jo blushed.

"You are wonderful," George stood up and kissed Jo hand. He collect everyone's empty mugs and headed towards the kitchen; when he came back to the living room he stretched his long limbs and went to Jo's side.

"Well, it's time for the old people to go off to bed," yawed Jo.

 **—** **Lysander's POV—**

"Good night," Lysander eagerly said. **_Finally! Good Lord, I love you two; however there is a possibility Candy loves me. Me! We need to finish our conversation; I need to tell her how I feel about her._**

"Sleep well," added Candy. She looked at Lysander, barely containing her smile. Just then the porch light lit up and the front door opened.

"Oh, Leigh and Miss Rosalya must be home," Jo said cheerfully.

"Wonderful, we can say goodnight to them," added George.

Lysander sighed overtly. **_Perfect timing,_** he thought.

"Is something wrong sweetie?" Jo asked lovingly as she went to Lysander's side.

"No, I'm well. Thanks mom." He responded.

Rosa and Leigh walked in hand-in-hand together in complete bliss.

"Hello everyone," said Leigh, "Lysander, Candy..." he smiled.

"Hello," Rosa said as she hopped in, shivering slightly; "Wow, it's getting chilly out there!" Rosa laughed.

"You two missed the story of Jo's triumphant victory," exclaimed George.

"Oh congratulations Jo," Rosa smiled cheerfully.

"Thank you much! Would you like us to tell it again," Jo beamed.

 ** _No. Please, no._**

"I'd love to, but can it possibly wait till morning? I'm actually kind of tired, some sleep sounds like heaven right now," Rosa yawned as she stretched her arms. She was looking forward to some sleep.

 ** _Thank goodness._**

"Yes, I understand! George and I were just going up to bed," Jo responded.

"Yes dear, but I just remembered I haven't put the cut up wood in the barn yet. Miss Rosa is correct, it is quite brisk and it's looking a bit cloudy. Boys, you mind helping an old man out," George asked pleasantly.

"Of course not, Pop" Leigh answered.

"Uhh, I do not believe it will rain tonight. It seems a little pointless to me," Lysander said in a desperate attempt to have everyone go to bed and finally be able to finish his conversation. **_Why is this becoming impossible?_**

"Lys-baby, you shock me. Help your dear dad! Like my Leigh is so willing to do," Rosa teased.

"Of course, I would love to help. I simply meant that the chances of rain tonight seem slim. Therefore, why bother with the wood; I'm sure it can wait till morning." Lysander said anxiously. **_Was that convincing enough?_**

George drew his arm in and placed a gentle hand on his chin. This was the exact stance Candy had seen Lysander numerous times.

 ** _It's working,_** Lysander thought hopefully.

"Let's just do it now. Better safe than sorry," laughed George.

 ** _Good grief_** Lysander thought to himself.

Rosa giggled and stuck out her tongue at Lysander. She kissed Leigh goodnight and proceeded to grab Candy's arm; "Come on, Candy! Let's go to our room and swap stories." Rosa dragged Candy behind her.

"B-b-but, you want to sleep. I'm not very tired, I'll hangout downstairs so I don't disturb you," Candy tried her best to protest but it was futile.

"Oh don't be silly, you're not a bother. Come, let's go" Rosa tugged Candy up the stairs.

Lysander watched as Rosa took Candy away from him. Candy turned to face and searched for his eyes at the top of the stairs. She found him; they looked at each other fondly.

 _Goodnight,_ Candy mouthed and gave Lysander a small wave.

He smiled up at her, _Goodnight._

* * *

 **-Candy's POV-**

Rosa practically threw Candy in the room and shut the door behind her.

"Candy! What happened? Lys was so worried about you; you weren't answering your phone. That horrid Olive tried to play the victim…" Rosa rambled.

"I know I'm sorry; I shouldn't have walked away like that. I'm sorry if I spoiled your evening," Candy said sincerely.

"Sorry! Honey, you have nothing to be sorry about! That was brilliant, it really lit a fire under little Lys-baby. He sent Leigh and me to look for you, we were only a few steps away when Lys dropped Olive like a hot potato," Rosa giggled, "She was just standing there, shocked! She tried to get Lys' attention yelling 'Wait! Are you going to walk me home?'" Rosa feigned Olive's voice in squeaked exaggeration.

Candy couldn't help but laugh, "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah! It was too funny," Rosa giggled. "So, where did you run off to anyhow?"

"I just walked around and ended up at a game booth. The game where you pop a bunch of balloons," Candy admitted.

Rosa's nose scrunched, "balloons?! You were popping balloons."

"Yup" Candy popped the last letter. "There is a twist!" she said twirling her index finger in a flourish.

Rosa jumped to Candy's side immediately, "Ohhh! Tell me, tell me!"

"The guy that runs the balloon booth is Olive's cousin" Candy said.

"Oh no, not more of Olive's kind!" Rosa made a disgusted face.

Candy laughed, "No, he's actually very kind. He and Lysander used to be classmates."

"What else," Rosa asked.

"Well, he told me to tell Lysander how I feel. He said that Lysander wouldn't make the first move…" Candy looked at Rosa.

Rosa sat silently, a pensive expression on her face. "That might not be a bad idea," she said after a few moments, "are you going to do it?"

"I kind of already did…" Candy mumbled.

"WHAT! AND YOU'RE JUST TELLING ME THIS," Rosa screamed with a big grin. "What did he say? When did you tell him? What did you say? Are you two a thing now? YES! Finally?!"

"Whoa, let's settle down for a second," Candy smiled, "Okay, where should I begin,"

"AT THE BEGINNING, GO!" Rosa demanded eager to hear the story.

"We arrived and no one was here, we started talking about Ren. Then about Olive… eventually I just took Ren's advice. Right as I was about to say I loved him, George and Jo showed up!"

"No!" Rosa gasped. "Ugh, then what happened?"

"What do you mean then what happened. We came inside and George and Jo told us about the pie contest. Then you and Leigh showed up and now we're here."

Rosa stared at Candy with an unbelievable expression, "What the hell are you doing in here? Go out there and finish your conversation!"

"You pulled me in here," Candy defended, "Besides, he's with his dad and Leigh right now."

"Then go wait in his bedroom, give him a nice surprise!" Rosa winked.

"Rosa!" Candy's cheeks turned bright red; causing Rosa to laugh hysterically.

"Okay, you're right. That should be saved for later," Rosa teased.

"Seriously, what's my next move" Candy asked her friend desperately.

Rosa stood up and paced back and forth, trying to come up with an answer. Candy watched her nervously.

"Got it!" she exclaimed, "This is good Candy. This is actually pretty great, you should just leave it as is!"

Candy looked at Rosa like she was bonkers, "What?"

"Seriously, let him sweat a while. I mean, I'm sure he's is itching to talk you. You confessed… or half-confessed, but still; it counts. It's his turn now Candy. Leigh and I have been begging him for weeks to do something. I've also been trying to get you to do the same, neither of you ever did. His answer, and your answer; were always the same. 'Not right now,' 'I need time,' blah blah blah!" Rosa used her exaggerated squeaky voice.

"Was that voice supposed to be me," Candy laughed.

"Aren't I so talented, I would make a wonderful voice impersonator," Rosa chuckled.

"Oh sure," Candy played along sarcastically, "you'd be the best!" Candy laughed, she laid back on her pulled out bed. She inwardly sighed, "Tomorrow should be interesting…"

"Tomorrow m'dear," Rosa rested on her bed, "you may have a boyfriend!"

The girls settled in for the night and despite all the excitement, Candy was able to fall asleep relatively fast.

Saturday morning dawned. Rosa woke up to the sound of chirping birds outside; she rolled over to see if Candy was awake. She saw Candy was in a deep sleep, dreaming vividly; her body twitched every now and then. Rosa got up quietly, trying her best not to disturb Candy; she figured Candy could use some more sleep.

Rosa gathered her clothes and quietly headed out of the room to go take a shower. The door creaked open and she slowly made her way out. Something crumpled underneath Rosa's foot, she looked down and found a Rose and a note addressed to Candy. She picked up the item and bolted into the room, completely ditching the plan to let Candy sleep in.

"Candy!" she sang and jumped into Candy's bed and vigorously began to shake her. "Candy, get up! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

The sudden movement woke Candy instantaneously. "Ahhhh, Rosa, what's happening," Candy asked, still a little hazy.

"A certain someone left this for you!" Rosa held the flower and the note up, waving them in front of Candy's still sleepy face.

Candy sat up quickly, reaching for the gifts, she flipped the note open.

The paper had clearly been torn out of Lysander's notebook. Candy noticed the jade embellishments on the margins of the paper. Lysander elegantly wrote in the center of the page:

 _Dearest Candy,_

 _I have planned something very special for us._

 _Please meet me in front of the Ferris wheel at 6:15 p.m._

 _I cannot wait to see you!_

 _~Lysander_

"What does it say," Rosa inquired eagerly.

"He says he planned something for us. He wants me to meet him in front of the Ferris wheel tonight," Candy smiled.

"Oooooohooohooooohoooo!" Rosa elbowed Candy gently, "That's sweet. He's want his proclamation of love to be dramatic and big!"

Candy laughed, "Stop Rosa!" Candy looked at the rose Lysander left her and inhaled it's scent, she smiled to herself and blushed.

Rosa watched as her friend's cheeks were brightening up, "Wait does this mean you won't see him till tonight," she asked Candy.

"I guess so," Candy replied lightly, she was in a good mood.

"Great, that means you can spend the day with me and Leigh! Yesterday he promised to take me to the clothes shop and then his favorite fabric store; it's going to be super fun!"

"O-oh, you know what, that seems like something you and Leigh should do together…" Candy mumbled. She loved hanging out with Leigh and Rosa, but clothes and fabric shopping with the pair could turn into something that dragged on. Candy remembered the time she and Rosa went to Leigh's store on shipment day. Rosa insisted it was going to be fun, but three hours of watching Leigh and Rosa excitedly open the boxes of fabric and name every possible thing they could create out of it became exhausting. Rosa and Leigh had a blast, but they loved talking about fabrics, the most Candy could say was 'Yeah, it's so pretty' or 'this one is nice too.'

"Don't be silly, we can all go!" Rosa said, "Alright! I will go shower, and then you can shower and get ready. We'll eat breakfast, hang out with George and Jo for a while and then were off!" Rosa said excitedly and ran out of the room.

"No, Rosa, wait…" Candy tried to object, but Rosa had already left the room.

Candy sighed **_Okay, well… just think about Lysander. Just think about tonight. Rosa and Leigh did plan this whole weekend, so you can totally handle a day of shoptalk between them!_** Candy convinced herself; she loved her friends and loved seeing them happy. **_It'll be fun!_** She thought to herself.

Candy sniffed the rose one more time before finally getting up, **_This will be a good day,_** she promised herself.


	9. Chapter 9

**((A/N: Hello friends! First of all I would like to thank everyone for their support and patience. I hope you all are excited for this new chapter. I made it extra long to show you all how much I love you. FYI, this isn't the end of the story. Thank you thank you thank you! Please enjoy and review! Reviews make me all warm and fuzzy! Thanks!))**

Chapter 9

 **—** **Lysander's POV—**

"Thanks boys," George smiled. The trio had finished putting the last of the wood in the barn. It was a good call on George's part because the wind was picking up, the clouds were looking ominous, and the birds were soaring and circling the sky begging the heavens for rain.

"You are very welcome dad. Goodnight" Lysander responded.

"Good night sons," George said as he hugged both his sons. "Don't forget to lock up."

"I won't." Lysander waved as George made his way indoor. Lysander quickly grabbed the key and began closing the barn door; he feverously motioned Leigh to hurry up so he could lock the door. Leigh simply smirked, noticing his brother's sense of urgency.

"Are you in a rush," Leigh questioned.

"Why do you ask," said a slightly confused, slightly irritated Lysander.

"You seem like you are in a hurry," Leigh nonchalantly stated as he sat on a haystack. Leigh was not planning on letting Lysander go anytime soon.

"As a matter of fact, I do have some pressing issues to attend to; now, could you please make haste? I need to lock up," Lysander explained.

Leigh chuckled; he couldn't help it, seeing his brother in such a state was amusing to say the least. "Lys, look in the window; their light is already turned off. Even if that was not the case, Rosalya would be taking up Candy's time. She was desperate to know what happened tonight."

Lysander's eyes widened in surprise when he realized Leigh knew exactly what, or who, was plaguing his mind. He immediately searched for Candy and Rosa's bedroom window. He exhaled in disappointment when he saw the light was turned off. Lysander walked over to the haystack and slumped down next to his older brother.

"I imagine Olive's sudden return and Candy being here this weekend hasn't been easy…" Leigh began, trying to get the conversation rolling.

"I no longer have any connection to Olive!" Lysander said in an uncommonly loud voice.

"Did you hear me utter anything of the sort Lysander? There is no need to lash out, if you have a remark to make you make it politely," Leigh responded promptly in his stern older brother voice.

Lysander held his head down, "You are right, Leigh. My apologies, I don't know what's come over me lately."

Leigh looked at his younger brother and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, "Care to fill me in?"

Lysander sat quietly, completely lost in his thoughts.

"Where was Candy when you found her," Leigh asked hoping his simple question would lead to more answers.

"She was with Rene Brantley," Lysander answered.

Leigh leaned back, quietly contemplating what Lysander had just said. "Rene Brantley has always been a polite person. Am I wrong in assuming such is still the case?"

"No. He is still a kind person, Candy mentioned that."

Leigh listened carefully to Lysander's reply. He was certain that he had identified his brother's plight; he responded, "This made you jealous? Seeing Candy with a nice boy like Rene, therefore you decided to boil up silently inside? Lysander that is no way to treat Candy…" Leigh began his lecture only to be interrupted by his younger brother.

"No, no, that's not it. Well, admittedly yes; jealously became me. But I put that aside and apologized to Candy…" Lysander stared blankly.

Now Leigh was more taken aback than before. He could not understand what was weighing on Lysander's mind, "Did she accept," was the only thing he could think to ask.

"She told me she loves me… or, she was about to…"

Leigh smiled once Lysander's words registered in his head, "That's wonderful Lys. Isn't it?"

"Yes, well. She did not quite finish her statement. Mom and dad came home. We never did finish our conversation" explained Lysander.

"I see, thus answering why you were in a rush," Leigh laughed.

Lysander laughed lightly with Leigh before becoming quiet again, "What should I do now, Leigh?"

Leigh looked at his brother. Lysander's face was pleading for answers. Leigh threw his arm around Lysander's shoulder, "Now you confess to her, Lys."

"I believe she knows the feeling is mutual," he stated.

"You could be right. But it is always nice to actually hear it Lysander. The reason you are twitching in your skin is because of her confession to you; Candy deserves to twitch as well."

Lysander smiled, _**she deserves that and more** , _he thought to himself.

"Lys?" Leigh said, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thanks Leigh. Will you lock up, I have to do something" Lysander said standing up and making a bee-line to the house.

"Of course, oh and Lys" Leigh said stopping Lysander in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"Remember, she loves Ferris wheels."

Lysander slightly bowed, "Thank you Leigh," he smiled.

Lysander went inside and practically sprinted to his room. Once there he began his search. _Where did I put it?_ He wondered. He looked under his bed, he searched his desk, and he searched the shelves, under his covers. _Where could it be?_ Lysander was about to give up when he finally spotted his coveted notebook by the windowsill.

 _Found you!_ He thought to himself, elated. He grabbed a pen from his desk and began to write:

Go to the fire house

Must see Kemp family.

Speak with that one gentleman (find out his name)

Speak with Mrs. Harkin

Find out who runs the Ferris wheel

Lysander looked down at his list. He had an idea in his head he was hoping to bring to life. He took his phone out of his pocket to look something up.

 _Tomorrow's sunset is at 6:21 pm,_ he read. He turned a page in his notebook, and wrote as neatly as he possibly could:

 _Dearest Candy,_

 _I have planned something very special for us._

 _Please meet me in front of the Ferris wheel at 6:15 p.m._

 _I cannot wait to see you!_

 _~Lysander_

 _ **Perhaps I should include a rose** , _Lysander thought as he looked out his window.

Saturday morning dawned. Lysander awoke at precisely 6:15 a.m. _I have 12 hours to accomplish this, better get started._ He got dressed, this time in his Victorian clothing. He went downstairs to an empty kitchen; he proceeded outside to find a rose. Once he chose the perfect one he placed both it and the note outside of Candy's door and left, determined to complete his to-do list.

* * *

 **—** **Candy's POV—**

"I agree that would make a nice dress" Candy said in an attempt to be a good sport. It had been hours since breakfast, and Rosa and Leigh were still exploring the third clothing and fabric store on their list of many clothing and fabric stores to come. Candy checked her phone to find out the time, _12:18 p.m. Oh dear._ Candy said to herself.

"OK! Moving on to the next store," said Rosalya in a chipper tone, "ready, c'mon Candy!"

The trio made on their way to their next stop, Leigh and Rosa were walking hand-in-hand in front of Candy. She loved her friends, and was happy that they were so in love with each other, but Candy would be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel like a third wheel.

 ** _I really love hanging out with Rosa and Leigh, but I can only take so much fabric talk. I should tell them the truth, this is their passion and while I support them, it doesn't really interest me. I'm sure they'll understand? Yes, definitely. I'll just go back to the house, or walk by the lake or something._**

"H-hey guys…" Candy said in a low voice.

"Candy!" a voice from behind caused her to turn around; Leigh and Rosa also heard it.

"Ren" Candy stated when she spotted him.

Ren walked up to the group, waving at Candy and wearing his sunshine smile.

"Hey! Two days in a row, lucky me" Ren said gladly.

Candy laughed, "You're too kind! Ren, this is Leigh; Lysander's brother and this is his girlfriend and my best friend Rosalya" Candy motioned at her friends, "Leigh and Rosa, this is Ren Brantley… Olive's cousin…" she mumbled the last part.

"Yes, I remember you. Hello Rene, you've grown quite a bit," Leigh joked

"Yeah, I remember you too! You've grown a bit too," Ren laughed.

"Hi Ren," Rosa chimed in cheerfully.

"Hello, Rosalya…or Rosa?" Ren asked politely extending his hand.

"Either is fine," Rosa smiled shaking his hand.

"So, you guys taking a tour?" Ren asked

"Oh, I was showing them the clothing and fabric stores. Rosa loves fashion as much as I do, I wanted to share some of my early inspirations," Leigh stated while fondly looking at Rosa.

"Yeah, you're parents always talk about your clothing store! That's really great man, congrats! You're parents are very proud, I often chat with them when they're in the grocery store," Ren explained kindly.

"Thank you Rene. How are your parents, I saw the grocery store expanded, that's wonderful." Leigh continued the conversation.

"Yeah, thanks!" Ren replied.

"So, what are you up to Ren?" Rosa inquired.

"Oh, I was on my way to the ice cream shop. Mrs. Beatrix makes the best milkshakes. Leigh you have to take them! You guys can join me if you'd like," Ren said happily.

"Thanks for the offer Rene, but Rosa really wanted to see more clothing stores." Leigh explained.

"Guilty!" Rosa laughed, "But Candy, you can go if you want!"

"What?" Candy said a little shocked.

"Well, I know you don't love fashion as much as Leigh and I do, and I know you love us too much to say anything. Plus, you owe Ren," she smiled and turned towards Ren, "She took your advice and now our little Lys-baby is planning a whole evening for her!"

"Is that right? Good for you Killer!" Ren said genuinely. Candy began to blush as the rest of the group laughed.

"You sure you don't mind Rosa?" Candy asked.

"Of course I don't! You were slowing us down!" she teased. Candy giggled and hugged her friend.

"We shall see you later Candy, good luck with this evening," Leigh said calmly.

Leigh and Rosa continued around the corner to their destination as Candy and Ren waved goodbye.

"Well… follow me! Trust me, this is the best milkshake you will ever have," Ren said leading the way.

I little bell sang when Ren opened the door of the ice cream shop for Candy. The shop instantly infiltrated Candy's olfactory senses. The fragrance of warm caramel, sweet chocolate, plump strawberries and fresh mint were some of the scents Candy picked up. Walking further into the shop she also smelled the toasty handmade waffle cones, the cool milk and sugar, this shop was absolutely delightful. Candy was enveloped in all the aromas and was enjoying it.

"May-be I should call you bloodhound instead of Killer," Ren joked.

Candy feigned an offended face and laughed, "It smells amazing in here!"

"Wait till you actually try something," Ren said walking up to the counter, "Hey Bea! How are ya!"

A bouncy old lady popped up. She wore glasses that magnified her eyes, making them times 10 times bigger than they actually were, and her hair was coiffed in a messy bun, she smiled warmly.

"Ren! Lemme guess, you're here for your usual?" She teased.

Ren gave her his sunshine smile, "Bea, you read my mind, this time make it two! I brought a friend."

"Friend?" Her eyes found Candy, "Hello young lady, I'm Nelly Beatrix, but everyone calls me Bea."

"Hi Bea, my name is Candy! Nice to meet you! Ren tells me you make the best milkshakes, I can't wait to try it" Candy greeted the old woman.

"It is very nice to meet you too, dear. Well, any friend of Ren is a friend of mine! Two banana pudding milkshakes coming up, free of charge; it's always on the house for first timers!"

"Wow, thanks!" Candy replied.

Candy and Ren sat down at a corner table and awaited their milkshakes. Candy took in her surroundings; she let her eye wander around the shop until she stopped when she noticed Ren giving her a snide smile.

"What," She questioned Ren.

"Whoa there Killer, I'm just smiling because of what Rosa said," Ren admitted.

"About what," Candy darted her eyes, and tried to act coy.

"You told him, how about that?" he narrowed his eyes.

Candy fiddled with a napkin, "Well, I did take your advice. Or I meant to… or I did, but I didn't."

Ren scrunched his features; he was utterly puzzled, "I don't understand what you're saying."

"Well," Candy explained, "I was just about to tell him how I feel when his parents came home. We never really finished our conversation… But he got the idea, right? He's out planning preparing something for us."

"What! That's so funny, Killer," Ren laughed, "But I wouldn't worry, and I think he got the idea, so what's he planning anyway?"

"No clue. He left me a note this morning. I'm meeting him in front of the Ferris wheel later this evening."

"Sounds like it'll be a fun evening" said Ren.

At that moment Bea came over and placed two milkshakes on their table. Candy took a long sip of hers.

"Well," Bea said inquisitively.

"Bea, this is the best milkshake I've ever had!"

Bea grinned from ear to ear, "Thanks sweetie, that's what I strive for! Please excuse me you two, I've customers to attend to!"

"Thanks Bea, it's delicious as always," Ren added. He looked at Candy and raised his glass. Candy side-eyed him, but ultimately mimicked the gesture.

"Here's to you, Killer. And Lysander, and whatever it is he is planning, best of luck!" he toasted.

Candy tapped her glass with his, "Thanks Ren!"

 ***Clink***

* * *

 **—** **Lysander's POV—**

Lysander stood in front of the fire house. He walked up the steps and pulled the shiny red door open that led to a somewhat lobby, a man was sitting behind a large desk.

"Can I help you son," a brawny gentleman spoke in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Good morning, sir. I was hoping you would be able to assist me" said Lysander.

The tall, buff man stood up and stared Lysander down; his uninterested frown curled upwards as he let out a rumbled chuckle, "Hey, aren't ya one of George's boys?"

"Yes. Hello, I am Lysander Ainsworth," Lysander held out his hand.

The man slapped is hand away, "Hello boy," he happily shouted while bringing in Lysander for a hug; "Bill! Marcus! Get your asses in here and meet one or Georgie's sons." At once two more firemen joined them in the small lobby.

The buff man introduced them, "Lysander, this big son of a bitch is Bill, and this guy over here with red hair is Marcus, and I'm Fire Captain Logan Matthews!"

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Lysander smiled.

"Likewise kid! We all respect your folks very much. They always donate a portion of their harvest to help people whose homes were burned down. They are wonderful people," exclaimed Marcus.

"Yes, they are and your Ma makes the best pies, she bakes one for the fire house every week!" laughed Bill.

Lysander smiled, **_my parents are wonderful people,_** he agreed in his head. "Thank you all for your kind words. My mother would love your compliments about her baking. She actually won the pie contest last night at the fair!"

"We know that kid," the Fire Captain laughed, "you're looking at the judges!"

Lysander laughed inwardly.

"How can we help you today son," asked Captain Matthews.

"Well, I have this idea I'd like to put into action. I wanted to ask your permission because it will involve pyrotechnics. I'm not sure if you've ever been asked such a request Captain Matthews," Lysander explained as he handed a piece of paper to Captain Matthews.

Captain Matthews examined the sheet of paper and passed it along to the other firemen to inspect. He looked at Lysander and grinned cheekily, "Is this to impress a young lady?"

Lysander began to blush, "Y-yes. I thought it would be a nice idea."

"It's a great idea, kid! I think we can help you out. Right boys," Captain Matthews asked his men.

"Of course, Bill and I can be on stand-by to make sure nothing goes wrong," he offered.

"Where are you planning on putting it," asked Marcus.

"I was hoping to place it on the empty lot across the street from the entrance of the festival," Lysander replied.

"That's the Kemp's property, right?" asked Bill.

"Yes, you are correct. I was hoping to speak with them after my visit here," Lysander explained showing them his to-do list as proof.

Captain Matthews threw an arm around Lysander's shoulder, "Very good, kid. Why don't you have breakfast with us? I'll call the Kemp family and explain your idea, I'm sure they won't mind, and after breakfast we'll help you in whatever you need."

"Captain Matthews, I cannot begin to thank you enough. This is exceptionally kind of you, I am very grateful," Lysander smiled.

"No trouble kid! But where are you gonna get your materials?" Bill chimed in.

"I was hoping to speak with the Pyro-technician of the festival, but I do not recall the gentleman's name. I do however know that Mrs. Harkin is the director of the entire festival, I was going to speak with her as well," Lysander unfolded his to-do list and looked down at his tasks.

"You're talking about the man that operates the fireworks, right? I believe his name is Josh Duns… Captain, you should go with the Kid when he visits Mr. Duns, that's way he knows the fire station supports this plan" Marcus stated. Captain Matthews nodded his head in agreement.

"How are you gonna show this to the lucky girl," asked Bill with a happy but curious face.

"I wanted to show her on the Ferris wheel during the sunset," Lysander admitted.

"Hey, that's a great idea! My wife volunteered to run the Ferris wheel this year, I can totally make that happen for you!" shouted Captain Matthews.

 _This is coming together so easily, I'm thrilled_ Lysander thought. He began to feel giddy and anxious at the same time.

The four of them made their way into the kitchen of the fire house, they sat down to eat breakfast and continue with Lysander's plan.

* * *

 **—** **Candy's POV—**

Candy looked down at her phone for the hundredth time, _5:55 p.m. Ugh, can time be going any slower?! Should I go now? It wouldn't hurt to get there a little early, that way I get all my nerves out of the way._

"Killer, stop over thinking things and help me set up more balloons," Ren said, snapping Candy out of the conversation in her head.

"O-oh, yeah okay…" Candy said fumbling with another balloon.

Ren noticed how nervous she look, "Hey, don't worry! You look great and he is trying to impress you, no need for nerves," he smiled at Candy.

"Thanks," she said. Clearly Ren's words did nothing to reassure her.

"Killer," Ren tried getting her attention, "Killler!"

"Y-yes? Sorry…" Candy finally paid attention.

"I have a joke for, you," he said sitting down while motioning Candy to do the same.

Candy sat right next to him and sighed, "Okay, let's hear it."

"What did the blanket say when it fell off the bed?"

"Ren, not a pun" Candy half-heartedly whined.

"C'mon," Ren laughed, "just play along!"

"Okay," Candy playfully rolled her eyes, "Ask again."

"Alright, what did the blanket say when it fell off the bed?"

"I don't know, what did it say?"

"Oh sheet!" Ren shared the punch line, his eyes lit up and he smiled wide waiting for a reaction. Candy laughed. A lot! The joke was mildly entertaining but the real reason behind the laugh was Ren facial expression upon waiting for a reaction.

Candy's laugh subsided abruptly and she looked around curiously.

"What's wrong" Ren asked.

"I'm not sure, did you see a flash" Candy questioned.

"Killer, this is the game section of the festival; there are a lot of lights flashing. It's just your nerves getting the best of you again" Ren concluded.

Candy smiled, "May-be you're right." She looked down at the time; it was exactly 6 p.m. "Listen Ren, thanks for today! I had fun, but I have to get going now."

"You've been itching to get going since 5 o'clock," he teased. "Okay, I'll let you go early, see you later Killer. Have fun tonight, say hello to your boyfriend for me!"

"Bye Ren!" Candy waved. She happily made her way to the Ferris wheel.

"Oh my god, where is he," Olive said aloud to herself. She had been looking for Lysander all day. She figured that he would be at the festival again; she aimlessly walked around trying to catch any glimpse of Lysander.

"Ugh, he must be with that Candy girl, she so annoying. I mean what he even sees in her I'll never know," Olive said to herself. It was the third time she circled the festival. She decided to go to the game section and visit with her cousin for a while before proceeding with her search. Who knows, may-be Rene had seen Lysander and could tell her where he was.

Olive was not prepared for the sight she was about to see. Her jaw fell to the floor when she saw none other than Candy hanging out in the balloon booth with her cousin.

"That little tart," she exclaimed. She observed the pair for a few minutes before she got an idea. As soon as she saw Candy sit down next to Rene as pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.

She looked down at her screen and smiled maliciously, "I've got you now stupid Candy." Olive was now more motivated than ever to find Lysander and show him this photo. She frantically ran around, looking for him.

Lysander had arrived at the Ferris wheel at 5:50 p.m. He was anxious and decided to mentally prepare himself before Candy arrived. He began pacing back and forth in an attempt to get the jitters out of his system.

"Lysander!"

Lysander's heart jumped and he turned around expecting to see Candy, he was surprised when he found a panting Olive instead.

"Olive, good evening" Lysander said indifferently.

"Hey," Olive panted, "I've been looking for you everywhere. I was hoping to see you again." She winked at Lysander.

"Olive, allow me to be completely honest. I am not interested in pursuing anything with you and I would truly appreciate it if you understood. I am waiting for someone currently and I don't want you to get in the way of our plans." Lysander honestly explained in the most polite way he could think of.

Olive stood there in absolute shock. It took her a moment before she could speak again, "This is because of Candy, right? You think you two have something special?" Olive questioned arrogantly.

"If you must know…" began Lysander before being interrupted.

"Well this is who your precious girlfriend was with!" Olive shouted, shoving her phone in Lysander's face.

Lysander swatted Olive's phone away until he caught a glimpse of Candy's face on the screen. He reached for the phone and inspected the picture.

Normally Lysander's first reaction would be jealously. But that didn't happen this time, this time he felt secure with himself, knowing that Candy loved him. Instead of jealously Lysander simply focused on Candy's face in the photo. She looked so happy, she looked like she was laughing; Lysander could almost hear her laugh through the photo. He simply stared at the photo and smiled.

Olive grew angry, she was hoping for a different outcome. She crossed her arms in a huffed when she noticed Candy making her way through the crowd. Olive decided she had one more card to play, in one swift motion she threw her arms around Lysander and kissed him.

As Candy was excitedly made her way through the crowd, her eyes searched for Lysander. Unfortunately, what she found was Olive was attached to his lips. She felt all of the air in her lungs evaporate and instantly her eyes were brimmed with the threat of tears.

Lysander immediately pushed Olive off, "Olive! What are you doing? Don't you understand that I do not harbor any type of romantic feelings for you? Frankly, this stunt is making me less inclined to be cordial to you," Lysander reprimanded Olive; that's when he noticed Olive was not even looking at him; he turned his head to see what was captivating Olive's attention.

Lysander's heart dropped "Candy…" he quickly made his way over to her, "Candy, this isn't what it appears to be, I swear to you." He held her close, looking into her eyes.

Candy looked at Lysander; she saw the pleading in his eyes. She knew this wasn't Lysander's doing, she took a shakey breath before speaking "I know. I believe you. That was just not a good sight," she slightly laughed, attempting to bring lightness into the situation.

Lysander cupped her face, "I'm sorry," he said genuinely.

"Why are you apologizing to her?" Olive yelled, "Didn't you see the picture? She obviously doesn't care about you at all. She was with Ren, flirting and laughing up a storm. Trust me Lys, you were the last thing on her mind. And now she just flutters her eye-lashes and acts like the victim.

Olive was on a relentless rampage, and her target was Candy. Lysander felt his blood boil; he was at the end of his rope and Olive was the culprit.

He let go of Candy, gently pushed her behind him and turned to face Olive, "THAT'S ENOUGH OLIVE. I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU. I CANNOT FATHOM WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS BUT YOU NEED TO LEAVE ME AND CANDY OUT OF IT. I TRIED TO BE CORDIAL, BUT THAT'S OVER NOW! KNOW THAT YOU AND I NO LONGER HAVE ARELATIONSHIP OF ANY KIND, YOU DON'T EXIST IN MY EYES…"

Candy had never seen Lysander so angry, much less ever heard him yell. She was so surprised it took her a moment to react. Lysander was visibly shaking from anger; it didn't seem like he was calming down anytime soon. Candy moved closer to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tenderly.

As soon as Lysander felt the back hug he stopped yelling all together. That was all it took to bring him back to reality. He took in a long, deep breath and cleared his throat.

He placed his hand on Candy's and looked at Olive, "Olive, I'm sorry…"

"SCREW YOU LYSANDER. I DON'T EVEN CARE!" She screamed as she stormed off. She glared at the couple as she walked away.

Candy released Lysander and stood by his side, "Lysander, are you okay?"

"Yes," Lysander said weakly, "I'm sorry you had to see that. All of that…Olive, my reprehensible behavior…"

"Stop," Candy hushed him, "It's okay," she smiled trying to cheer up Lysander. He obviously felt ashamed by his outburst. Candy intertwined her arm in his, "Hey! It's almost 6:15!"

Lysander looked at Candy, if she could forgive him; he could forgive himself, "It is?"

"Yup!" Candy said excitedly.

"Would you please accompany me on the Ferris wheel," Lysander said in his soft silvery voice.

"I'd love to," Candy beamed. Candy began to walk to the back of the line when Lysander gently tugged her arm.

"This way Miss Candy" he smiled and led them to the employee entrance. Lysander thanked Captain Matthew's wife, Maggie, as the two were permitted to skip the line and were seated on the ride.

They began ascending slowly; Candy looked all around enjoying the sights. Lysander laced his hand in hers, "You look beautiful."

Candy could feel herself blushing, "Thank you, you are quite handsome as well, I was beginning to miss your Victorian style."

"Close your eyes for me please. It's almost time for your surprise," he smiled.

Candy was confused, but she did what she was told. The Ferris wheel came to a complete stop.

"Okay, you may open them now" Lysander spoke softly.

When Candy opened her eyes she was immediately drawn to a sparkle of lights. The sun was about to set, in a field laid thousands of lit up sparklers spelling the out the words 'I love you, Candy.'

Candy gasped; she looked again, making sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. She then looked at Lysander who was smiling at her.

"I love you, Lysander."


	10. Chapter 10

**((A/N: Ahhhh! I am (once more) deeply apologetic for the wait! Here is the latest chapter, it's kinda short (sorry!). Any how... THANK YOU to everyone following along, I really hope this is worth the wait and that everyone is enjoying it. Feel free to review. Thanks thanks thanks thanks and thanks!))**

Chapter 10

"How did you accomplish all of this," Candy asked with astonished wonderment.

Lysander lightly laughed, "I did have some help."

Candy turned to look at him, "please thank whoever helped you for me" she smiled.

The Ferris wheel continued slowly rotating downwards.

"You might as well, thank them yourself. I believe that is them," Lysander stated as his eyes made out the three firemen waiting next to the Ferris wheel.

Candy and Lysander got off the ride and made their way to the firemen.

"Hey! Kid! How'd she like it" Captain Matthews asked happily and genuinely curious in his load and rumble-some voice.

Lysander laughed, "You can ask her yourself. Captain, this is Miss Candy. Candy, this is Captain Matthews and his men Bill and Marcus."

"Hello! It's very nice to meet all of you. I loved the surprise. I'm sure it took a lot of effort and work. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you" Candy finished bashfully.

"Awww, it was all Lysander's idea," Bill exclaimed.

"Yeah, we didn't do much," added Marcus, "Lysander was the one that made it happen."

"On the contrary, without you this all would have been possible. Thank you so much, again," Lysander gratefully bowed his head.

Captain Matthews playfully punched Lysander's shoulder, "No trouble at all Kid! I'm glad to hear you liked it Miss Candy. We wanted to come meet the girl that inspired such a gesture! You two make is nice-looking pair!"

Both Candy and Lysander's faces turned bright red causing the three firemen to let out a booming fit of laughter.

"Well, it was nice seeing you two tonight. I'm happy everything was a success! Now please excuse us, we should be making our way to the chili contest" explain Captain Matthews.

"Oh, you're entering a dish" Candy asked.

"You're looking at the judges" Bill and Marcus said in unison.

Candy laughed, "Lucky you!"

Lysander and Candy said farewell and the group parted ways.

 **Buzz! Buzz!**

Candy's phone began vibrating, loudly.

"Oh, sorry" she said, "It's probably Rosa, she's been texting me all day wondering if I knew anything."

Lysander smiled as he watched Candy fish her phone out of her pocket. She found her phone and inspected the name on the screen. Her face suddenly looked worried.

"Is everything okay?" Lysander asked.

"It's my mom," she said as she answered the phone, all the while taking a few steps away from Lysander.

"H-hello" Candy spoke into the phone.

"Hey sweetheart, haven't heard from you in a while" her mom said on the other side of the phone line.

"Oh, I'm sorry mom. I guess I haven't really checked in that much. I'm sorry" Candy apologized.

"Don't be sorry, dear. It's not the end of the world" responded her mom, "I was just calling to say hi and also, your dad and I are going out for dinner tonight and we can't remember which one is the Chinese restaurant that serves the green tea we really like? You're dad keeps saying it's Szechuan Garden but I'm pretty sure it's Wong's, right?"

Candy lightly chuckled. For a second she thought that she had been found out and was in trouble. She usually didn't lie to her parents and was feeling guilty about the whole weekend, but still… relief washed over her when she realized she was jumping to conclusions.

"It is Wong's. You're right mom" she answered.

"I knew it," her mom practically shouted, "She says I'm right honey."

Candy could hear her father on the other end; _really? It's not Szechuan Garden, is she sure?_

"Tell dad I'm sure, but Szechuan Garden does have the egg rolls we like better" Candy told her mom who in turn repeated the information.

"Okay sweetie. Thanks. Love you, stay safe," Candy's mom said.

"Love you too, mom. Tell dad I love him. Have fun at dinner, also… I'm sorry for not checking in" Candy said.

"It's alright, we'll talk soon. Love you!"

"Love you." Candy let out a sigh of relief. She hated lying, but was glad everything was okay.

"Candy?" Lysander hesitantly said.

Candy turned at once, "Sorry, it was my mom."

"I understand. Is everything alright" Lysander questioned.

"Yes. It is, I just wasn't checking in enough" Candy admitted.

"Oh, you could have talked to them more. I truly don't mind!"

"That's sweet, but they were off to dinner anyway. I'll call them tomorrow," Candy smiled.

"In that case, would you like to take a walk by the lake?"

"Yeah, I'd love to" Candy smiled.

Lysander laced his hand in hers and led the way. The pair strolled silently, both completely content. They reached the lake and walked along the water's edge.

It was Candy that broke the silence, "I almost embarrassed to admit it, but… I've often daydreamed about walking with you, hand-in-hand, in a place like this."

"How does the reality compare to the fantasy," Lysander inquired in a silvery voice.

"The reality is far superior" she answered truthfully.

Lysander brought Candy's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it, "You're a dream come true Candy."

Candy was glowing after that compliment. Her smile spread from ear to ear. They continued their walk in comfortable silence. The view was perfection, the lake's ripples were glittering with the moonlight, the trees were dark stoic silhouettes and the sky was a deep dark blue. Lysander and Candy walked on listening to the lapping water and the various crickets and frogs sing their lovely songs. They were half-way around the lake when the wind started picking up, Candy's body slightly shivered from the cold.

Lysander noticed, he let go of her hand and began to take off his long coat.

"Take my coat Candy, please" Lysander said as he placed his coat on around Candy's shoulders.

"N-no, I'm fine" Candy attempted to protest and tried to hand him his coat back.

Lysander stopped her and smiled, "Candy, I have all these layers. That's one of the perks of wearing clothing in my style."

Candy laughed, "I suppose you're right." She put on the coat without further debate.

Lysander couldn't help but be amused by the sight. Candy's small frame was drowning underneath his coat.

Candy gently flipped her hair out from underneath the coat and smile at the boy standing in front of her. She noticed a loose thread by one of the buttons on Lysander's vest and mindlessly reached out to touch it. Lysander took the opportunity to take a step closer to Candy.

"Good thing your brother can take care of these things," she pondered with a smile.

Lysander simply nodded and placed one hand on her waist and the other inspected the loose thread as well.

"I was beginning to miss seeing you in your usual fashion..." continued Candy; "N-n-not that you didn't look good in your other clothes… you did. You always do… uh-umm… I like to see you in these clothes or even out of your clothes. Wait! That sounded weird…"

Candy began to ramble.

Lysander blushed but was entertained at the same time. He placed both hands around Candy's waist and brought her in closer, this instantaneously stopped her adorable babbling.

"I get it," he said lowly.

Candy smiled and looked into Lysander's mismatched eyes. Lysander's breath hitched when she met his gaze. At that moment he tilted his head and leaned in closer until their lips brushed. He kissed her slowly at first, Candy laced her hands behind his neck and deepened the kiss; it became more passionate and thrilling…until the two had to come up for air that is.

Their faces pulled away slowly, they were both a bit dizzy from the excitement and lack of air. Their eyes met once more and the two of them shared a shaky laugh.

"Candy, will you be mine…May I be yours" Lysander whispered, still holding Candy close to him.

Candy smiled, "I'd love to," she placed a light, quick kiss on his lips, but as she drew back Lysander captured her lips once more.


	11. Chapter 11

**((A/N: Hello friends! Here is the latest chapter, fresh off the press! I made it longer to make up for the shortness of Ch. 10. I love reading all your reviews and messages, they truly motivate me and make me want to give you my best! I really hope you enjoy, I have been having a blast writing this. I know the weekend is almost over, and trust me; it pains me that this is slowly coming to and end. I want to reiterate that I do not own anything MCL related. Please R &R, and as always: Thank you Thank you Thank you!))**

Chapter 11

"Leigh has you brother called you at all? He hasn't responded to any of my messages," Rosa complained as they made their way back to the house.

"Sorry love, I haven't heard a thing" Leigh responded.

"Ugh, Candy's answer is always the same 'I don't know yet Rosa!'"

"Ren said Candy went to the Ferris wheel over an hour ago. I'm certain that whatever the surprise was, it already happened" Leigh concluded as he pulled his keys out of his pocket to let themselves in.

"You're probably right, but I'm still dying to know what happened" Rosa smiled as she walked in.

Leigh laughed and pulled her into his arms, "I am too." He kissed the top of his girlfriend's hair.

"Lysander? Candy? Is that you two?" Jo's voice echoed from the living room.

"It's us mother, Rosa and I" Leigh answered as the pair walked towards the living room.

"Hello kids! Leigh why didn't you tell me what Lysander was planning; we heard the whole story from the Captain Matthews" George asked.

"You know the story! Oh that's wonderful! Leigh and I knew that he was planning something, but don't know what it was. Who's Captain Matthews? What did he do? What was Lys-baby's plan?" Rosa questioned excitedly.

Jo giggled, "He confessed to Candy by lighting a ton of sparklers in a field. He planned it so that he and Candy would be on the Ferris wheel and at the exact moment the sun set the sparklers were lit!"

"Wow! That must have been amazing" Rosa exclaimed, she and Jo were smiling like school mates at recess.

"Yeah, apparently Lys went to the fire house early this morning and explain his idea to Captain Matthews, who in turn so generously helped him out. They talked to all the right people to put this plan into action!" George explained proudly.

"We were sitting waiting for them to arrive, I so badly want to know how things turned out" Jo said in an impatient tone.

Rosa giggled, "Me too!"

"We'll find out soon enough," Leigh laughed.

"Oh, I'd love to see them together! They would make a lovely pair I think. And I want someone to make Lysander as happy as Rosa makes you Leigh" Jo said lovingly.

"Awww, thanks Jo!" Rosa beamed.

Just then the front door opened.

"Lysander, Candy is that you?" George asked.

"Yes, it's us." Lysander answered. The new couple walked towards the living room and found four pairs of curious eyes staring at them. They shared their news and the congratulations commenced. Everyone was happy for the new couple and loved the gesture Lysander had made. This prompted George to tell the story of how he and Jo met and their following courtship. Leigh, Rosa, Lysander and Candy listened to the lovely story filled with quirks and adorable nuances.

George told them about the time that he made dinner for Jo and tried to incorporate peaches into every course because they were her favorite fruit. In the end, the only dishes that actually tasted good were the grilled peaches for the appetizers and peach sorbet for dessert.

It became a late night of story-telling but everyone enjoyed it. It was 12am by the time everyone finally went to bed. Candy was just about to turn off the light when Rosa plopped down beside her.

"What happened? You need to tell me everything" she practically demanded.

Candy laughed, "We kissed!" she said as she turned to face Rosa, knowing that was the detail she was most interested in.

Rosa waved her arms in the air, "woo-hoo! How was it? Is Lys-baby a good kisser?"

"Rosa!" Candy blushed, "Isn't that a weird question, I mean… he's practically your family."

"Oh come on Candy! We're best friends, I would tell you! In fact, Leigh is a really good kisser… among other things" she giggled.

"Stop, stop, stop" Candy hushed her friend before she could continue. Candy mockingly covered her ears causing Rosa to laugh. Then Rosa just stared at Candy waiting expectantly for an answer.

"He… he is a good kisser. A really good kisser; it was nice" Candy shyly admitted.

Rosa grinned, "Well, I am pretty proud of myself. I can add matchmaker to my repertoire!"

"You sure could!" Candy laughed along with her friend.

"So what's next?" Rosa asked.

Candy looked at Rosa and shrugged, "What do you mean?"

"I mean for you two, what are you going to do? Introduce him to you parents; tell them you're dating someone? They'll probably want to meet Leigh too, since they don't live with their parents… Leigh is his guardian" Rosa nonchalantly explained.

"I guess I hadn't really thought about it…" Candy said aloud. She internally began to panic. **_What am I suppose to tell my parents? They think I'm out of town with Rosa's family. How will I explain a boyfriend to them? They only met Lysander during the play, and that was brief. Well… mom knows I have feelings for Lysander, but we've never talked about it after the play. Oh no, this is bad. WHAT WILL DAD SAY!?_**

"Candy? Candy?" Rosa nudged her friend.

"What! O-oh" Candy shook her head, "Sorry. I was just thinking. Rosa… what do I tell my parents! If I tell them the truth I'll surely be in trouble and that would be a terrible impression on Lysander's part. But how do I explain all of this? I told my mom I would call her tomorrow morning. Oh boy, I can't keep lying to them, I-I-I…" Candy said in a panicky voice.

"Whoa, Candy! It's going to be fine" Rosa said reassuringly, "You can tell your parents later, give it a few weeks. Tell them Lysander and you decided to go see a movie or something, just ease them into it. Then they can meet him and voila! Problem solved!"

Candy didn't say a word. She was deep in thought, **_May-be that could work. But that seems like a lot of deception._**

"Yeah, may-be…" was all the response Candy could muster.

"Don't worry" Rosa said and she climbed into her own bed, "Everything will be fine," she turned off the light and situated herself for the night.

Candy laid back, her head buzzing with anxious thoughts.

* * *

On Sunday morning Candy awoke earlier than usual. She quickly and quietly showered, brushed her teeth, fixed her hair and got dressed. This morning she decided to wear black flats, brown robin pants, and her panda t-shirt. She grabbed a sweater on her way out of her room deciding that the morning fog looked cold. At this point Rosa was barely stirring out of her slumber.

Candy made her way down the stairs phone in hand, ready to call her mom. She said a quick but cheerful hello to Jo and George, who were already up, and she excused herself to make the call. She still wasn't quite sure what she was going to tell her mom, but she promised she'd call and Candy was going to keep her promise.

Candy sat down on the porch swing and dialed her mother's number. The phone rang; and rang; and rang. **_I wonder what's taking her so long to answer; I'm sure she's up by now._**

The phone rang for the fifth time before Candy's mom finally answered, "Hello? Sweetie, hi!" she said a tad out of breath.

"Hey mom, did I wake you?" Candy asked.

"No sweetheart, I just couldn't find my phone" Candy's mom laughed.

"Oh. That's funny. So… how was dinner last night?" Candy began.

"It was great, we decided on Wong's, I love their green tea." She explained.

Candy chuckled lightly, "That's great. I'm sorry I missed out!"

"We'll go again this following weekend, we miss you kiddo!"

"I miss you guys too, mom." Candy said honestly.

"So how are things? Are you having a good time?"

"Things are great, I am having a lot of fun" Candy answered honeslty.

"Oh yeah? That's good to hear, what have you been up to?"

Candy's heart began to pound, **_Should I tell her? But what should I tell her? How can I explain this?_** "U-umm… Well, actually there's another classmate spending the weekend with their family too…"

"Oh cool, that's a happy surprise." Her mom responded.

"Yeah, umm… he and his brother are visiting their parents" continued Candy.

"He?" Candy's mom immediately picked out the pronoun.

Candy's face became warm, "Yeah. It's Lysander and his brother. Do you remember? You met him and his parents briefly at the play?"

"I remember… that was the boy you had your eye on right?" Candy's mom giggled.

Candy could feel herself blushing, "Yeah."

"Soooo? Why bring this up sweetie?" Candy's mom teased.

"Well, I've spent some time with him…" Candy didn't know how to continue "… and well, he has reciprocated my feelings… and…"

"OH SWEETIE! That's great! Do you think you two might date?" she asked.

Candy was about to answer when she heard her father's muffled voice on the other end.

 _'_ _DATE?! Lucia she is too young to be dating anyone!'_

 _'_ _Oh Phillip, don't be so stubborn. She can date now' Lucia defended._

 _'_ _No way! She is still my little girl, who is this boy she wants to date? Why is this even a conversation?' Phillip said with concern in his voice._

Candy tried to interject, "Mom? Mom?" but Lucia was too engrossed in her conversation with Phillip.

 _'_ _I dated at her age, Phillip. It's completely normal. It turns out that nice boy from her class is visiting his parents and they happened to run into each other.' Lucia concluded._

 ** _I never said that! But I won't correct my mom, especially since she's on my side,_** Candy thought to herself while laughing.

 _'_ _What boy? Candy shouldn't be focusing on boys, she should be focusing on her studies!" Phillip stated_

 _'_ _Oh Phil, honey! Don't get so worked up' Lucia said in a buttery tone._

Candy continued to listen to the humorous conversation between her parents. The front door opened and Lysander glided out with a cup of tea in each hand.

"Good morning," he whispered to Candy as he placed the cups on the porch railing.

Candy mouthed the words 'good morning.' Lysander smiled and sat down next to her.

Candy was suddenly nervous and she wasn't sure why. She looked at Lysander and smiled coyly.

Lysander felt his heart jump and his face become warm.

Candy turned the phone face down on her shoulder, "Sorry, my parents are going on about something and I can't get a word in" she explained.

Lysander laced his hand in hers and brought her small hand to his lips, "No worries, take your time" he said and then gently kissed Candy's wrist.

Candy's heart was pounding and everything became fuzzy, she didn't even hear her mother trying to get her attention.

"Candy? Are you still there? Sweetie?" Lucia's voice was small and squeaky on Candy's shoulder.

"W-w-what, sorry… I didn't hear you. I thought you were still talking to dad." She said slightly embarrassed.

"It's fine sweetheart. Your dad and I will discuss this further but I see no harm in you spending time with the nice young man. I know! Let's you and I plan a nice girl day when you get back." Lucia cheerfully declared.

"I'd like that mom. Tell dad I love him. I'll see you guys soon. And I'll text more often, promise!" Candy responded.

"Okay sweetie. I love you, take care!"

"Love you too! Bye." Candy hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

She turned towards Lysander, "Good morning!"

"Good morning," he responded. They both lightly laughed and then looked away. They were both not used to simply treating each other as just friends anymore. This was new territory for both of them, they were treading lightly; not out of fear or discomfort, but out of nerves.

Lysander handed Candy her cup of tea, "I've brought you something to keep you warm seeing as the air is thick and misty this morning."

Candy took a sip of the warm liquid, "Thanks. It is foggy today, but I like the brisk air" she began. Lysander reached for his cup of tea, he swiveled a tad too quick and spilled half of it between them.

"Oh dear, my apologies… d-did I burn you at all" he asked with concern.

"No, no! I'm fine" Candy smiled as she stood up, "See, it mostly got on my sweater, I'm okay" she said as reassuringly as she could.

Lysander stood up and went inside leaving a puzzled Candy behind. She was about to follow him in when he reappeared once more with a paper towels in his hand.

"Oh, let me help you" Candy said as she placed her tea on the porch railing and reached for a towel.

"No, no. It's okay, I can clean it" Lysander said a bit flustered. Candy gave him an inquiring look. Lysander shyly looked at his feet, "I suppose I am mildly nervous…" he admitted.

Candy smiled as she felt a weight lift off of her shoulders, "I've been nervous since you walked out here," she laughed as she took a step closer to Lysander.

Lysander instinctively placed his hands on her waist, "Really?" he laughed along with her.

Candy put her hands around his neck and stretched to reach his lips. She kissed him softly and sweetly. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, "Good morning" she smiled.

Lysander cupped her face and kissed her once more, "Good morning."

"So, how are your parents?" Lysander asked, feeling more at ease.

"They are doing well. I mostly talked to my mom. I talked about you actually," Candy added.

"Oh?" Lysander's eyebrow rose.

"I told her how we've been spending time together. They still don't know I'm here with your family… My mom's under the impression that we ran into each other, I didn't correct her. I just… I guess…"

"I understand," Lysander chimed in, "Rosa's plan did not include your parents being completely aware of your whereabouts I take it?"

"You are correct," Candy nodded; "But my mom seems to be okay with the idea of me dating you, it's mainly my dad you'll have to win over" she teased.

"I shall prove my worth!" smiled Lysander.

Rosa and Leigh came out at that moment, "Will you look at them, aren't they cute Leigh?" teased Rosa.

"I've never seen such bliss!" Leigh good-heartedly made fun.

Candy laughed and rolled her eyes, "Good morning you two!"

"Good morning Candy, good morning little brother" Leigh stated as he reached over and tussled Lysander's hair. Lysander tried to swat him away, all while Rosa and Candy giggled at the exchange.

"Jo sent us to come get you, breakfast is ready!" Rosa said hopping to Candy's side.

They went back in the house to join George and Jo for breakfast. The day progress slowly and quickly all at once. The cold weather made everyone want to stay in the warm arms of the indoors.

George went to the den and spent the rest of the morning polishing his harmonica collection while Jo sat across from him and knitted.

Rosa, Candy and the Ainsworth brothers spent the rest of the morning playing board games. Leigh dominated two rounds of monopoly before declaring bankruptcy thanks to Rosa's many hotels and houses. Then it was Candy's turn to shine, she proved to be the ultimate detective when she solved the mystery three times in a row when the foursome played Clue. They ended their game marathon with a simple card game.

By mid-afternoon George decided that is was perfect weather to make chicken soup. Unlike Jo, who was a clean and tidy cook, George used practically every pan in the kitchen when he cooked. The end result was worth the mess because his chicken soup was absolutely delicious.

Leigh and Rosa washed the dishes, ignoring Jo's insistence that she was happy to clean.

George stated that he needed to "stretch the old limbs" and flirtatiously invited his wife to go on a walk. The parents went out in the brisk air, hand-in-hand for a nice long walk.

Lysander went out for wood to light the fire place, knowing that the house could become drafty. Candy took the opportunity to run upstairs and grab a blanket and shoot both her parents the same text message:

 _-It's cold here! How's the weather over there?_

Candy's dad was the first one to respond:

 _-Sun shine and blue skies. Who's this boy you've been spending time with?_

Candy read the message and laughed to herself:

 _-His name is Lysander. You met him at the play, daddy! I swear you'll like him :)_

Candy waited at the top of the stairs for her dad's response. It came 2 seconds later:

 _-I'm sure I won't, but I guess we could give him a chance_

Candy's eye widened in shock, **_I guess mom must've gotten through to him_** _,_ she thought. Her fingers danced across her phone screen:

 _-Thanks daddy. I love you!_

 _-Love you too! We'll talk more about this later._

Candy shook her head and smiled. She went down stairs; the living room was already a few degrees warmer thanks to the lit fireplace.

"We've decided to watch a movie; does that sound good to you?" Rosa asked.

"Yeah, sounds great!" Candy said walking over towards Lysander who was already seated on the big fluffy couch.

"What are we watching?" Candy asked as she sat next to Lysander.

"One of Jerry Lewis' films, it's called 'The Ladies' Man.'" Leigh answered Candy's question.

Rosa bounce over to Leigh's side, "Leigh is kinda a big Jerry Lewis fan!" she explained.

The credits began to roll. Lysander leaned in and whispered in Candy's ear, "Why are you so far away?"

Candy blushed and scooted in and placed the blanket over them. Lysander wrapped one arm around her waist as Candy nestled to his side. Lysander smiled and kissed her forehead. They remained in each other's arms for the entire movie. It was the perfect afternoon.


	12. Chapter 12

**((A/N: Ahhhh! It's been 22 days since my last update! To all of you who follow along, I am SO SORRY! It was a mixture of writer's block, a lot of work, and general feelings of not wanting this story to end. This is the last chapter before the epilogue, I truly hope you enjoy it. I wanted to add more of Lysander's perspective to the story, so this was the chapter to do so. Also, I want to note that I do not own anything MCL related, all credits go to ChiNoMiko. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AND THANK YOU! Remember to review, please enjoy!))**

Chapter 12

 **Lysander's POV**

"Lysander… Lysanderrrr… wake up…" Candy gently prodded her boyfriend. Lysander had fallen asleep half way through the movie. It's not that he didn't enjoy it, but he had seen it a couple dozen times thanks to Leigh's love for Jerry Lewis films. On top of that he was just so comfortable next to Candy, it was euphoria; he just dozed off.

"I think you're stuck there until he wakes up, Candy!" Rosa giggled.

"I can always get a cup of ice," suggested Leigh, "he hated that when we were younger, let's see how he feels about it now" Leigh finished his sentence and briskly walked to the kitchen with a huge devious smile on his face.

Candy couldn't help be mildly amused by the idea, but quickly resigned the notion. She angled her head so her mouth was barely an inch away from his ear; she began to whisper in a sing-song fashion, "Lysander… wake uuuuuuuuuuuuup."

He finally stirred. When his eyes slowly opened he saw a blurry Candy looking at him, he blinked a few times to gain his sight back, "Candy? Did I fall asleep?" He shifted bit leaving some distance between him and Candy, she took the opportunity to stand up and stretch her numb limbs. Lysander immediately missed the contact.

"You did," giggled Candy as she gained feeling back in her arm.

"Oh. He's awake" realized a disappointed Leigh as he walked back into the living room with a now useless cup of ice.

"Yeah, sorry love; I would have loved to see his reaction" teased Rosalya.

Lysander spotted the ice and knew exactly what Leigh intended to do. **_Why does he find that so amusing. I will never understand._** He thought to himself. "What time is it?"

"It's almost five. You fell asleep near the beginning of the movie. Hope you're not getting sick Lys-Baby!" Rosa added.

"I feel well, thank you. I suppose I was just so comfortable" Lysander said as he smiled at Candy, making her blush. **_I love it when she blushes; her cheeks become a perfect shade of pink. It's hypnotic._**

"Lys, you must stop ogling poor Candy. She knows you love her, no need to just stare." Leigh joked. Candy was slightly embarrassed, but laughed anyhow. "Well, now that you're awake and your body is no longer crushing Miss Candy; Rosa and I wanted to get started on a piece from the fabric we purchased yesterday. Please excuse us" concluded Leigh as he laced his hand with Rosa's.

"Leigh and I thought this up at the store; it's going to be amazing!" Rosa's voice exuded joy.

"I'm sure whatever you guys make will be spectacular," Candy encouraged.

"Thanks Candy" beamed Rosa. They were off, you could already hear the sewing machine reeling; followed by muffled bickering over cuts and lines and all things fashion. Lysander scoffed lightly; **_those two cannot go without arguing for one day. I wonder if that will be the case with Candy and me?_** Lysander looked over towards Candy who had since sat back down on the couch. She smiled at him fondly. **_Whatever the argument was, she would win by just looking at me the way she is now,_** Lysander mused.

Candy took and deep breath before standing up, "I think I'm going to get some fresh air" she stated.

"Would you like some company?" Lysander asked. Candy nodded her head. The pair made their way outside, to the coveted porch swing. It quickly getting dark and was slightly raining.

Candy took in the cold air, letting it fill her lungs, "I love the way wet pavement smells," Candy said aloud, but mostly to no one in particular. "I love the way wet dirt smells," she added as if she were making a list. Candy turn towards Lysander, he gave her a 'please continue' look so she dreamily continued, "The cold air is refreshing, don't get me wrong I love warm days too, but a nice cold day is sometimes just as beautiful as the warm ones."

Lysander simply looked on and listened. **_Does she realize that the scent of her hair surpasses all of the wet dirt and pavement in the world, the cold air is a sore loser compared to her warm skin and she is by far more beautiful than the brightest, sunniest days Mother Nature could ever dream of?_** He thought to himself as he quietly listened to her list.

Candy looked at Lysander shyly, her cheeks were just beginning to feel warm, "And… I love you" she finished.

Lysander's entire chest became grew hot; **_I will never grow tired of hearing that_** , "I love you, Candy." Lysander responded as he instinctively leaned in for a kiss. He lingered longer than he intended to, because her lips were so soft and because he absolutely loved kissing her. Lysander deepened the kiss with no resistance on Candy's part; they were thoroughly enjoying their passionate tongue wrestling only to be interrupted by a loud text notification. Lysander ignored it at first; he preferred kissing his girlfriend to answering a text. Then the notification rang again.

 ** _Who could possibly be attempting to contact me?_** Lysander thought to himself as he detached from Candy and reached for his phone.

"A thousand apologies," he said to Candy.

Candy giggled and leaned in to kiss his cheek, "You are forgiven. Take your time, I'm getting pretty cold. I think I'll go check in on Rosa and Leigh's progression and then go shower." Candy stood up and headed inside. Before she went inside she blew Lysander a kiss. Lysander watched fondly as she proceeded indoors, then his phone beeped once more, snapping him out of his trance. He looked down to see who the culprit was, his phone read:

 **3 New Messages From: Cas**

Lysander clicked on his message icon to read the 3 texts his best friend had sent him.

 _\- I'm so fucking annoyed!_

 _\- My mom's been super clingy this weekend._

 _\- I can't even walk Demon without one of them tagging along_

Lysander read the messages and instantly knew what Castiel was talking about. His parents had come back for the long weekend to spend time with him. Lysander knew Castiel had a tumultuous relationship with his parents, but that he ultimately loved them and they loved their son. Lysander responded to his friend:

\- _Perhaps they are trying to make up for their time away?_

Castiel's response was quick;

 _\- I don't fucking care Lys! I'm used to my solitude, they don't get it._

Lysander quietly huffed after reading the text; he typed out a message and hit send;

\- _Go easy on them Cas. They'll be gone tomorrow after all…_

Lysander waited for Castiel's answer, already knowing what the red head would say;

\- _Whatever._

 _\- How's your weekend going? Have you two banged yet?_

Lysander's eyes widened in disbelief, he reread the message several times before asking for an explanation.

L: _What are you talking about?_

C: _you and Candy dude!_

L: _How did you know Candy was staying with us this weekend?_

C: _Seriously Lys? Rosa begged me not to go with you this weekend. She didn't know I couldn't go cuz my freaking parents are in for the weekend. She explained the whole ordeal and told me not to tell you._

L: _I see._

C: _You haven't even made a move, have you? Dude, you've been eyeing her since you've met. IT'S TIME TO HIT THAT._

L: _Cas, no need to be so vulgar._

C: _DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ME BE FUCKING VULGAR? OKAY… HERE I GO!_

L: _No, no, no. Please desist._

C: _hahahaha. Ok. Just go make your move man!_

L: _As a matter of fact, I have 'made my move.' Candy and I are now together._

C: _EYYYYY! You guys are together. I know what together means. Lys, you are now a man._

Lysander rolled his eyes after reading Castiel's text;

L: _We haven't done anything so drastic yet._

C: _Yet? Whoa! You fantasizing about Candy now? I mean, you always were, but now your ~W A N T~ her._

L: _Let's move on. What have you been up to?_

C: _hahahaha! Whatever, I'm happy for you man. Besides avoiding the 'rents, not much._

L: _Thank you much, Cas._

C: _Welcome. Ugh, I'll catch up with you later. Apparently it's family game night._

L: _Good night Castiel._

Lysander hit send and put his phone back in his pocket. A large part of him was relieved Castiel knew about Rosa's plan. This would save him a lot of needless explaining; on the other hand, Lysander knew he had plenty of sex jokes and remarks coming his way.

The air was beginning to bite and Lysander's hands were itching to write. He made his way inside by-passing Leigh and Rosa's bantering, and headed straight to his room. Luckily enough, his notebook was on his bed; Lysander didn't have to go on a wild goose chase to find it. He grabbed the nearest pen and began to write on a blank page. He titled it "Last Night".

 _Last night our lips met_

 _we kissed_

 _Lips lingered in heavenly bliss_

 _A simple kiss, can you see what it did?_

 _My knees grew weak,_

 _lightheaded, we swayed_

 _You held onto me, you stayed_

 _I kissed you fast, you kissed me slow_

 _Our lips met and said hello_

 _Our souls melted,_

 _we glowed._

 _You shivered,_

 _I felt the earth shake…_

 _How could this be?_

 _How could your kiss do this to me?_

He looked down at the page and examined what he wrote. He smiled softly, feeling content and satisfied that he captured the memory of their first kiss. This will surely become a favorite memory.

"Hey Lys, may I come in?" George knocked on the door.

Lysander quickly stood up and opened the door for his father, "Yes dad, come in."

"Thanks son! Whatcha up to? Ahhh! Doing some writing are you?" George concluded once he saw the notebook in Lysander's hand.

"Just writing down my thoughts, nothing extraordinary" responded Lysander.

"Oh everything you boys do is extraordinary. Your mother and I are always saying so!" George cheered.

Lysander quietly laughed, "Thanks dad."

"It's true! No thanks needed my boy" George genuinely explained. He took a seat next to his youngest boy, "You know… your mom and I are so thrilled you've found someone like Leigh did. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you two are going to get married or anything of the sort. At least not yet" George teased, "but it's good to see you happy."

"Thank you," Lysander said, "Candy is really quite wonderful, I'm glad you and mom met her."

George chuckled a bit, "Well, I'm sure any day now you'll be meeting her parents and be reduced to a bundle of nerves. I really commend Candy; she took on a whole weekend with us!" he laughed.

"I've briefly met them before, they seem like reasonable people" Lysander said while a sudden nervous feeling grew in his stomach.

George let out a roaring laugh, "just be yourself, Lysander. Her dad will grow to like you. He's most likely the one you've got to win over. Anyhow, no need to worry about that now. I came in here to ask you to help me get more wood… it's going to be a cold one tonight!"

Lysander suddenly felt his head spinning. **_I have to win over her father. Candy has mentioned before that her father is somewhat strict._** He thought to himself. He looked up at his father who had an expecting look on his face. "O-o-h. Yes. I will be right down dad."

"Thanks. I would ask Leigh. But he and Rosa seem kinda busy deciding where how long the dress they're making should be. Something tells me Rosa is going to win that argument." George teased.

Lysander gently laughed, "She usually does," he added as he stood up and followed his dad downstairs.

* * *

 **The next morning...**

The Monday morning fog rolled in. Candy sleepily yawned and pulled her hood over her head.

"Sleepy?" Lysander questioned with a smile forming on his lips.

Candy laughed a little bit embarrassed, "It takes me a while to fully wake up" she responded.

Lysander simply chuckled as he wrapped one hand around her waist and brought her closer. The couple continued their early morning walk down the lonely street. Lysander woke her up at the crack of dawn because he decided he wanted to surprise everyone by making breakfast that morning and needed to go to the store. Candy of course said yes because she wanted to fit in as much time together before they had to go back to Sweet Amoris. She wasn't that much of a morning person, but was still better than Rosa. Rosa threw a pillow straight at Lysander's head as punishment for disturbing her slumber.

"How's your head?" Candy teased.

"Rosa's has quite an impressive throwing arm now that you mention it," he joked.

Candy laughed, "Well, you seem fully functional so I'm assuming you incurred no brain damage."

"Only time will tell," said Lysander. The pair had finally made it to the market, as they neared the entrance the automatic doors opened and they step in. Candy let her hood down now that they were shielded from the cold. The couple made their way down the produce aisle.

"Wow, not a soul in sight," Candy observed. "What should we get first Lysander?"

"We need… um… we needed…" Lysander was desperately trying to remember.

Candy giggled; she could immediately tell that Lysander had forgotten the shopping list.

"Hey, I know that laugh," A voice said from around the corner. Ren appeared wearing a bright red Miles and Son apron, "Hey! You guys are early-risers," he commented as he made his way towards Lysander and Candy.

"Ren! Good Morning," Candy said happily.

"Hey Killer!" Ren smiled.

"Good morning, Rene. How are you?" Lysander greeted.

"I'm doing well! And hey, you are no longer looking at me like you want me dead!" Ren teased.

Lysander chuckled along, "I apologize. I'm afraid that night I acted very poorly towards you."

"Nah, don't apologize man. I get it" Ren shrugged, "What are you guys doing here so early?"

"Well, Lysander wanted to surprise his family by making breakfast. So we're here picking up supplies," Candy explained as she smiled up at Lysander.

"Yes, but I seem to have forgotten our shopping list, and cannot for the life of me remember what I wrote down." Lysander admitted.

"I'm sure if you guys look around it'll come back to you" Ren suggested. "Now please excuse me, I've got some restocking to do!"

"Okay, we'll let you go. Oh, Ren… wait!" Candy stopped him; "It was so nice meeting you this weekend, thanks for everything" she smiled.

"Oh, you guys are leaving today aren't you?" Ren realized.

"Yes, we are back on the road later today," Lysander responded.

Ren extended his arm out to Lysander for a handshake, "Hope you guys have a safe trip home. You gotta come back real soon. And bring Killer." Ren laughed.

"We'll be back." Lysander smiled.

"Cool! Well… bye guys!" Ren smiled his sunshine smile and went back to work.

"Bye Ren!" Candy waved.

After they said good-bye to Ren, Candy and Lysander wandered aimlessly through the grocery store. Neither of them minded, they were just content that they were spending time together. Once they gathered all the supplies needed to make a good breakfast they headed back to the house and began cooking.

Candy mostly chopped and stirred things; she wasn't much of a cook so she let Lysander take the lead.

Breakfast was absolutely delicious; Lysander was a wonderful cook, just like his mother. After breakfast Rosa dragged Candy upstairs and the two began to pack.

"So, are you excited to get back home?" Rosa began as she folded some clothes into her overnight bag.

"I am pretty happy to be headed back. I miss my parents, my room, and in all honestly I really miss my bed, this trundle thing is kinda hard." Candy admitted.

"You know what I mean!" Rosa interjected, "Aren't you pretty excited to walk into school tomorrow with Lysander by your side" she smiled.

Candy felt a smile pulling at the sides of her lips, she shrugged, "I'm pretty excited," she admitted.

Rosa laughed, "This will be great! Uh, you're so lucky you two get to see each other at school. I wish Leigh could go to school with us!"

Candy giggled softly, "Well, we still have to go to classes and do other school related activities, so I'm sure it will be like before."

"Hmmm…" Rosa contemplated, "I guess you're right. But I swear Candy, you two better not be in your own love struck world ignore me during lunch!"

Candy laughed loudly, "don't worry Rosa I could never ignore you!" She threw her arms around her best friend.

"Better not!" Rosa said as she crossed her arms and feigned indifference. The girls finished up pack their things and headed downstairs.

Jo and George were already waiting for them at the bottom of the steps.

"It's been a pleasure having you two here," began George.

"Yes, it truly has! You both are welcome back anytime! But please do come back!" Jo almost pleaded, still cheerfully of course.

"Thank you both so much for everything. We absolutely loved staying here and getting to know you two," Rosa responded as they both reached the landing.

Candy looked at Jo and smiled before giving her a warm hug, "Thank you Jo. You are so wonderful!" Jo squeezed Candy back tightly.

"Oh, thank you dearie. Take care!" Jo said letting go, she then gave Rosa a big hug.

"You two take care, and keep an eye on our boys for us!" George laughed.

"No problem there!" Rosa joked along.

"Are we ready?" Leigh asked as he picked up Rosa and Candy's bag.

"Sure are, love!" Rosa exclaimed.

"Where's Lysander?" Candy asked searching for him.

"I'm here," Lysander said sneaking up behind Candy, "Ready?"

Candy blushed, "Yes, let's go!"

Everyone hugged and said good bye to Jo and George and then proceed into Leigh's car. Once everyone buckled up Leigh turned on the engine and began their long car ride home.

Leigh and Rosa were in the front seats going on and on about all the new ideas for the clothes shop, while Candy and Lysander sat silently in the back. Lysander reached over to lace his hand in Candy's, ripping her eyes away from the window. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Candy smiled softly and mouthed _I love you._


	13. Epilogue

**((A/N: This is it! I can't believe it! This is the final chapter. I want to thank everyone who has followed along and left supporting and heartwarming reviews, you truly motivated me to keep writing! I really wanted to make this something worth reading for the fans of the game. I have had such a wonderful and amazing time writing this fic. I loved writing it, I had so much fun! And that is thanks to this fandom and the amazing and supportive people. I am sad that this has come to and end, but I will never stop saying thank you! I am eternally grateful! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Please enjoy and review one last time! Reminder: I do not own MCL and a special thanks to ChinoMiko!))**

 **Epilogue**

 **Slam!**

Candy shut her locker door and put her books and notes away in her book bag. She was still recovering from the inquisition her dad gave her last night and continued into that same morning. **_If I feel this drained from my dad's interrogation I wonder how Lysander will handle it!_** She thought to herself.

"Hey, little girl! Let me have a word with you" said an unmistakable voice.

Candy suppressed a laugh and turned around to find a leather jacket with red hair coming her way, "Good morning Castiel! How are we today?" Candy acted coyly.

"Well, no one has gotten under my skin this morning; I'll let you know if it's a good morning after this conversation." Castiel retorted.

Candy gave Castiel an exaggerated eye roll and grinned at him, "I'm guessing this is about a certain silvered-haired someone we both have in common?" Candy proceeded.

"Very good, Candy. May-be this conversation won't be taxing on my valuable time" Castiel said, poking fun.

"Well, why bother talking to me then!" Candy demanded, "If you have any questions direct them to Lysander. My time is valuable too, Cassy. I don't need you taking up any of it." Candy said as she crossed her arms. She wanted to stand her ground and portray confidence in front of Castiel. They always bickered like this; it was a strange way of showing each other mutual respect.

"Well, he's not here yet. I guess you tired him out this weekend if you know what I mean" Castiel's voice was dripping with arrogance; he knew he had won this round.

Candy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, "CASTIEL, oh god!" she huffed as she began to walk away.

Castiel was laughing up a storm. He half-jogged to catch up to Candy, "Wait, wait! I'm sorry Candy. Geeze, it's a joke" he said, slightly out of breath from laughing so hard. He caught up to Candy and stood in front of her to keep her from walking away.

Candy glared at, but ultimately took a deep breath and let it go, "What did you want to say, Castiel?"

"Oooh, icy!" Castiel teased, "First off, let me start by saying congrats and good for you two."

Candy was a bit taken back, "Thanks," she said skeptically.

"Also, know that we have to share that lanky son of a bitch, we have band practice on Thursdays… so try to not interfere."

Candy half-laughed and half-scoffed in disbelief; Castiel was sort of asking her to not take Lysander away from him. That's how she took it anyway. Candy made a contemplating face, "Hmmmm… I'll try, but no promises… _Cassy_."

"Candy!" Castiel pleaded clearly annoyed.

"It's always a pleasure, Castiel," Candy smiled as she excused herself and walked away.

"I'M GONNA TAKE THAT AS A YES!" Castiel yelled as she walked away.

Candy shook her head and lightly laughed to herself. She headed outside to get some fresh air. She walked towards the gardening club when she spotted Rosa sitting on a nearby bench.

"Hey! Good morning. I already miss having you as a roomie," Candy said cheerfully.

"Awwww! I miss you too, bestie!" Rosa beamed, "I'm surprised you're out here, actually. Why are you sucking face with Lys-baby?" she poked Candy as she sat down.

Candy waved her off as she started to blush, "I haven't seen him yet." She shyly admitted, "But I did run into Castiel and had quite a… interesting conversation."

"Oh!" Rosa perked up, "please, do tell!"

"Well, he congratulated me. Or me and Lysander I guess… I wonder when he told him." Candy pondered.

"Oh…well, he knew about my plan. I told him in case Lysander invited him. That way he wouldn't go. It didn't really matter; turns out his parents were visiting him so he couldn't go even if he wanted to." Rosa explained.

Candy was stunned, "Exactly how many people knew what you were planning?" she asked. She was surprised that the secret was so well kept.

"What do you mean?" Rosa asked before continuing, "Hmmm…let me think. I told Leigh, duh! And I had to tell Castiel… and, I told Alexy. It just kinda slipped out. He was at the clothes shop when Leigh and I were coming up with the idea, so there."

Candy took in the information, "Let's see, there's Castiel and Alexy. If Alexy knew, that definitely means he told Armin. And if Armin and Alexy both know something, they probably mention it to Kentin. So that makes four." Candy finished.

Rosa followed her train of thought, "Makes sense."

"Pssshh," Candy shook her head, "No, never mind. I mean I doubt any of them are invested in the information. Why would they care? I'm just over-thinking this!"

"Are you worried about something, Candy?" Rosa asked her friend with genuine concern.

"No. It's just… the weekend was so nice. And we had plenty of time with just each other. Now I guess it's going to be an adjustment. I don't know how to act or what to do when I see Lysander." Candy confessed.

"Aw Candy! Just do whatever you feel comfortable with" Rosa suggested, "and for what it's worth, Alexy was very interested in the idea. He just want to see you happy, he's your friend!"

"You're right, Rosa! Thanks." Candy said as she stood up, "I'm going to head to class a little early; I'll see you at break time!" Candy waved good-bye and headed to class.

 ** _What am I so worried about? Everything is going to be fine!_** Candy told herself. She walked into Mr. Faraize's classroom and head straight for her seat.

"Good morning Ms. Love," greeted Mr. Faraize Candy walked past him.

"Good morning!" Candy replied.

The bell rang a few moments later and students slowly filled the classroom. Lysander made it in right before the late bell rang. Candy smiled at him and gave him a small wave. He smiled right back at her.

All of Candy's worries quickly dissipated. The rest of the week flew by. Candy and Lysander fell into a comfortable routine; they would pass notes to each other during 1st period and they would have lunch with Rosa and Castiel and occasionally study together in the library. No one seemed to take notice or care.

* * *

 **Candy's POV**

"Dad, please, please, please! promise me you won't interrogate him." Candy pleaded with her dad. The weekend had arrived, and Candy was ecstatic about spending time with Lysander outside of school.

"I still think that boy should have a meal with us so we can get to know him before letting you gallivant around town with him!" Phillip insisted.

Candy's mom chimed in on the conversation, "Phil, honey, it's still too soon to scare off the poor lad. Let them go on a couple of dates first, it's not serious!"

"I don't like this, Lucia" Phillip complained. Lucia smiled at her husband.

 **Knock! Knock! Knock!**

"I'll get it!" Candy jumped up.

"I got it," her father stopped her dead in her tracks. Phillip opened the door and silently stared down Lysander.

"Hello sir, my name is Lysander Ainsworth. I am here to pick up Candy" said Lysander, his confidence shaking.

Phillip continued his silent stare. Lucia bounced over to his side and warmly greeted Lysander, "Hey there! Come on in!"

"Thank you Mrs. Love," Lysander said as he stepped inside, "It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too!" My, you're so polite! Isn't he polite Phil?"

Phil grimaced, "I suppose."

"Okay, we'll let you kids go! Have fun!" Lucia said.

"Thanks mom!" Candy said as she made a bee line towards the door.

"Curfew is at 8." Phillip stated darkly.

"Dad, that's in an hour." Candy said as she looked at her mom for sympathy.

"Oh he's joking!" Lucia poked Phillip, "Be back by 10, hun! Love you!"

"Love you guys, bye" Candy said as she turned towards Lysander and nodded towards the door.

"It was a pleasure having met you," Lysander bowed his head and followed Candy.

Once the door was closed behind them, Candy smiled and laced her hand in Lysander's; "That was better than expected!"

Lysander smiled at her, "I am fairly certain your father wants me dead."

Candy laughed, "I think he went pretty easy on you. You made a good impression!"

"I'm glad. I plan on making him see that I am worth your affections," he said sincerely, in a determined tone.

"They both will love you as much as I love you!" Candy encouraged as she stretched onto her the tips of her toes and place a soft kiss on Lysander's cheek.

The couple made it out of the building and headed towards the park. They decided to have a simple date which meant going to the café and walking around the park a few times so they could enjoy each other's company. They were walking hand in hand when Lysander had the urge to kiss Candy. In all honesty he had been suppressing this urge all week at school; he didn't want to make Candy uncomfortable at school. He always thought that there was a time and a place for everything, but at this point he couldn't take it any longer. He stepped in front of Candy and brought her in close to himself. Candy began to blush as she threw her arms around his shoulders and tilted her head slightly as Lysander pressed his lip to hers in gentle yet passionate kiss.

"Well, well, well!" said an uninvited guest, Lysander and Candy immediately pulled apart.

"Peggy!" said a flushed Candy, as she immediately stepped away from Lysander.

"Hello Peggy, how are you doing?" Lysander asked calmly.

"I'm doing well. I see you two are doing very, very well. I didn't know you two were a couple." Peggy's voice was dripping with smugness. "Were you keeping it a secret?"

Candy sighed inwardly, already tired from this conversation. "No. We just figured that our relationship is no one's business but our own."

"Precisely" added Lysander.

"Oh, so you don't mind if anyone else knows?" Peggy toyed.

"We do not concern ourselves with the opinions of others," Lysander responded in his typical fashion.

"Well… that's good to know! If you will excuse me, I have to get going," Peggy practically bounced away.

Candy and Lysander stood watching her leave, "Something tells me I've inadvertently sucked you into my Sweet Amoris media fame."

Lysander simply laughed, remembering the various other Candy-centric articles Peggy had wrote since Candy's arrival. "Well, at the very least, this time she has reputable sources," he teased as he wrapped Candy up in his arms.

Candy let her worries melt away. After all, there were better things to do than to worry about what Peggy would write. Things like hand-holding, and kissing, and overall being enamored with Lysander.

* * *

"Sweetheart, get up now! You're going to be late!" Lucia yelled from the end of the hall.

Candy groaned. **_That's it. No more late night texting with Lysander,_** she thought to herself as she sleepily got out of bed.

"Candy, this wouldn't have anything to do with that boy would it? We agreed that dating would not get in the way of your studies," Phillip said sternly.

"No, I just forgot to set my alarm! I'm up, I'm up!" Candy said trying to sound as sweet as possible. She quickly got dressed, brushed her teeth, and grabbed her backpack. Candy gave her mom a quick good morning and good bye before her dad stopped her.

"We want to meet this boy properly before we allow any more little dates. You can invite your friend over for dinner Saturday night. Understood?" Phillip looked at his daughter.

Candy smiled at her dad, "Understood, dad. I will invite him. Thanks daddy, bye!" Candy hugged her dad. Even though he was being stern about this whole situation, Candy could tell he was really trying to be open minded.

"Wait, honey! You're not going to have breakfast?" Lucia shouted as Candy slipped out the door.

"No time," she quickly responded as she shut the door behind her. She sprinted down the stairs and out of the front of the building. Her adrenaline was pumping; she was in a rushed hazed and didn't notice Lysander waiting outside of her building for her.

"Candy? Candy!" he called out.

"Oh! Hey! Sorry!" Candy said as she turned around realizing Lysander was chasing after her. "Good morning!" she smiled as he caught up to her.

"Good morning" smiled Lysander as he kissed his girlfriend, "I thought I would walk you to school."

""That's sweet, we're you waiting long? I'm running a tad late this morning," Candy blushed.

"Not at all," Lysander said as he intertwined his hand in Candy's and began walking. Candy's phone began to ring.

Candy giggled as she read the notification, "It's Rosa." she explained. Lysander gave her a small nod of understanding. Candy continued to read.

 _R: Hey you! Where are you? Lysander isn't here yet either... Late night *wink*_

 _C: Rosa! We're on our way now. Be there in a few minutes._

 _R: Cool. And oh, just a quick side note…_

 _C: Yeah?_

 _R: Well… you two made front page news. Yay?_

 _C: She didn't! Ugh… we ran into her on Saturday. She saw us kissing._

 _R: I see. Well… that's not all of it. But you see when you get here. Love ya!_

 _C: Wait! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!_

 _C: ROSA!_

 _C: ROSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_

Candy feverishly typed, but Rosa didn't respond.

"Is everything okay?" Lysander asked.

"Rosa just told me that Peggy wrote an article about us," she explained.

Lysander brought his hand up to his chin and contemplated momentarily, "I believe you already knew she would do something like this?"

"I figured she would. But Rosa said there was something else and won't tell me what it is. I guess it we'll find out, we're here." Candy said as they stood in front of Sweet Amoris high school.

"Everything will be alright, I sure of it," Lysander calmly said, "let's get to Mr. Faraize's class before we're late." They made their way down the halls and walked into the classroom. Candy was relieved to see that they had arrived before Mr. Faraize. Then her relief dissipated when the loud chatter of the students turned to silence when she and Lysander walked in.

 ** _This can't be a good sign._** Candy internally began to feel anxious.

"Congratulations lovebirds!" Alexy yelled as Kentin unsuccessfully tried to hush him.

Candy's check began to burn a deep crimson as she tried to suppress a smile, "T-t-thanks Alexy."

"Yes, thank you." Lysander politely nodded. Lysander looked at his girlfriend who simply shrugged at him and smiled. Mr. Faraize walked a few seconds later and began teaching after apologizing for his tardiness. The bell rang and the students shuffled out. Lysander followed Candy out, "That was not at all torturous, may-be Peggy's article painted us in a positive light versus a scandalous situation."

"Well, I guess Peggy is getting past her gimmicks and scandals. Good for her," Candy smiled.

"You still wish to read the article don't you?" Lysander eyed Candy, already knowing her answer.

"I do. I really do!" Candy sheepishly admitted. "I'm gonna go see if one of the girls has a copy, you should probably go catch up with Castiel… I think he would appreciate that."

"Ah," Lysander said in realization, "he didn't happen to talk to you about our relationship did he?"

"He did!" Candy giggled, "It's actually kind of sweet. He doesn't want me taking up all your guy time." Candy stretched upwards to kiss Lysander.

"I'll go see what he's up to. I apologize if he came off rude this morning." Lysander half-heartedly laughed.

"Not at all, Castiel was just being his usual self." Candy laughed; she didn't want or need an apology from Lysander or Castiel. She considered Castiel a friend and knew he had a good heart underneath his tough guy exterior.

Lysander and Candy parted ways. She decided the best place to start was right from the horse's mouth. Candy headed straight towards the teacher's lounge, knowing that Peggy like to frequent that spot.

"Peggy!" Candy said as soon as she saw the nosy girl walking down the hall.

Peggy turned around and tossed a copy of the paper to Candy, "I figured you'd be around sooner or later" she laughed as Candy grimaced. "Don't give me that face! I thought you didn't care what people thought!"

"I don't!" Candy retorted, "But I don't care for scandalous articles either." Candy unfolded the paper and prepared herself for what she was about to read. On the very front page in bold black letters read:

 **SWEET AMORIS HAS A NEW COUPLE**

Underneath the headline was one simple sentence: Lysander Ainsworth and Candy Love are officially a couple.

Candy was in complete disbelief! She read and reread and reread again. Then she eyed Peggy, not knowing what to say. "That's it?"

Peggy laughed, "Yeah, that's it Candy. Are you disappointed?"

"No. But… I will admit it is not what I imagined."

"Well, a good journalist is full of surprises." Peggy said nonchalantly as she began to walk away.

Candy was left there completely stupefied. She was so shocked, she did not move. She was still trying to understand how that was the end of Peggy's article.

"Candy!" said Kim, bringing Candy out of her trance. Candy looked over she shoulder to see Kim, Violet, and Iris walking towards her.

"Hey!" Candy answered, still in a confused haze.

"Hey girl! So you're with Lysander now huh?" Kim asked happily.

"Yeah… we are" she smiled.

"That's cool! I'm happy for both of you. To be honest, we all kinda had an inkling that something was going on!" Iris teased.

"It was blatantly obvious you were in love Lysander, Candy. I'm just surprised it took you both this long!" Kim chimed in.

"You too make a cute couple," Violet added meekly.

"Thank you girls, you are all so sweet!" smiled Candy. She looked at her friends who were all smiling back at her. However, something told Candy that they were holding back.

"What?" asked Candy.

"What do you mean what?" questioned Kim.

"I don't know. Is something going on?" Candy continued.

Iris' eyes quickly darted to Kim's while Violet was making a weird face at both of them.

"So?" Candy said, beginning to get impatient.

Iris and Violet both looked at Kim before Kim finally rolled her eyes in a huff, "Okay, okay, okay… well we just wanted to know who knew about you guys first?"

"About what?" Candy asked.

"You know, about you and Lysander dating." Iris encouraged.

"Oh…" Candy was surprised by the question, "well, ummm… Rosa knew. And Leigh."

"So Castiel didn't know until this morning? Like the rest of us?" Kim's tone was skeptical.

"Oh… no." Candy stated matter-of-factly, "he knew last week. I guess Lysander must have told him. I mean, Castiel is Lysander's best friend." Candy had no idea why her friends were interested in such information; this entire line of questioning just seemed weird.

"THAT LITTLE CHEAT!" Kim practically screamed as she instantaneously walked away from the group.

"Wait? Kim? Where is she going?" Candy looked at her friends feeling completely lost.

Violet blushed, "umm… well you see, over the long weekend Alexy was explaining Rosa's plan to Armin and Kentin at the park. I was hanging out with Kim when we ran into them and they kinda told us about whole thing. Kentin even asked Peggy about it, thinking that she would have the scoop, but she didn't know."

"Kim let me know a day later when she came into the café" Iris added.

"Y-y-yea… and I mentioned it to Melody. I didn't know if it was a secret or not. And Melody told Nathaniel about it. " Violet continued.

Candy took in the information, "Okay…" she said, "but why is Castiel a cheat?"

"Well," Iris explained, "I mentioned it to Castiel, y'know… because I thought it was nice that his best friend was dating you. And I just wanted to know if the plan worked. Castiel said he hadn't heard anything from Lysander which probably meant that you two weren't dating. I told Kim and Violet and Violet told Alexy and Alexy told Armin and Kentin. Basically everyone wasn't sure whether you and Lysander were a couple and we all kinda started betting on the results. Last week when we came to school everyone was curious to see how you and Lysander acted around each other, but there was still no definitive proof of you two dating. Last week Castiel changed his vote from not dating to dating and then he won part of the bet this morning, and Kim couldn't shake the feeling he was cheating." Iris finished her speech. She and Violet just looked at Candy, waiting for some reaction.

Candy's lip curled into a wide smile and she laughed. She couldn't help it, in all honesty she was expecting a big reaction from her school and was slightly disappointed when nothing happened. But the, there was this! This is something she never expected, she continued to laugh. In between gasps for air from laughing so hard she managed to ask, "What was the bet?"

"$10" Iris and Violet said in unison.

"Wait, so what were everyone's guesses?"

"Oh! I have the sheet right here," Iris said as she pulled it out of her backpack, she was relieved Candy was finding the humor in this situation instead of being upset.

Candy grabbed the sheet:

Alexy – dating

Armin – not dating

Kentin – dating

Peggy – not dating

Kim – dating

Violet – dating

Iris – dating

Melody – dating

Castiel – not dating

Amber – not dating

Li – not dating

Charlotte – not dating

Capucine – not dating

Candy was surprised to see Amber and her herd's names on the sheet, but not surprised by their bets. "This is too funny," Candy stated, inspecting the sheet further. "So, Castiel cheated huh?"

Iris and Violet laughed, "That appears to be the case!" Iris answered.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to be in Castiel's shoes when Kim finds him!" Candy laughed. Just as she finished saying so a flash of red ran across the hall.

"I DIDN'T CHEAT!" Castiel creamed.

Kim was right on his tail, chasing him at full speed "I know you did! You better get back here Castiel!"

Lysander walked into the scene moments later.

"Hi Lysander!" Iris shouted and motioned him to come over.

"Hello Iris. Hello Violet," Lysander politely greeting as he made his way towards them and stood next to Candy. "Do you happen to know why Kimberly is chasing Castiel?"

Candy laughed once more, "Let's go outside, I'll explain" said Candy as she took his hand in hers and waved goodbye to Iris and Violet.

"I should probably try to calm whatever is situation is brewing between Kimberly and Cas…" Lysander contemplated.

"He can handle himself. Moreover, Kim does have the reason in this spat." Candy smiled.

The couple headed towards the courtyard where Candy had explained the entire situation.

"All our classmates participated?" he asked.

"Yes, even Amber and her friends! Can you believe it?" Candy responded.

"I see we received more 'dating' than 'not dating' responses." Lysander pondered as he looked down at the paper.

"Yeah… Kim was mentioning how it was obvious I had feelings for you…" Candy blushed shyly.

Lysander's face felt warm all of the sudden. He smiled at Candy, "I was drawn to you since the moment I met you." Lysander got closer to Candy; he had one hand on her waist and one hand caressing her cheek. He gently pressed his lips to hers.

Candy giggled into the kiss; he was just so sweet and so great, she was truly happy. Minutes later when the need for air surpassed their desire to continue kissing each other, they slowly pulled apart. Candy looked at Lysander, "will you come to dinner to meet my parents on Friday night?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

"Sweetheart, come set the table!" Lucia said, coaxing Candy to come downstairs.

"Coming, I'm just getting dressed," Candy shouted downstairs.

"You've changed your clothes 10 times this evening Candy. If this boy doesn't realize you're beautiful just the way you are then he is not right for you!" Phillip intervened.

Candy chuckled as she put on different dress, "Thanks daddy, I'm done I swear. Coming!" Candy hurriedly made her way downstairs towards the kitchen.

"Oh you look nice honey!" her mom encouraged as Candy entered the room.

"Thanks mom," Candy smiled.

Phillip was busy adding the perfect combinations of spices to seafood paella while Lucia was folding napkins for the silverware. Candy took the plates and cups out of the cabinet and began organizing them on the table. She was feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. She knew that her parents would like Lysander. It was hard not to fall for his charm. He was so naturally charismatic she believed he would have no problem winning them over. As soon as Candy finished setting the table she heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it!" she yelled as she bounced to the door. She didn't want Lysander to suffer a second stare down from her dad. Candy swung the door open to find Lysander standing there hold a bouquet of flowers looking as handsome as ever.

"Hi!" she smiled.

"Hello," Lysander beamed right back.

"Lysander! Welcome," Candy didn't even realize that her mom was now standing next to her, "Please come in!"

Lysander bowed his head, "Thank you very much Mrs. Love. These are for you, thank you for inviting to dinner." Lysander handed Lucia the bouquet of flowers.

Lucia grinned from ear to ear. If Candy wasn't mistaking it, she'd even say her mom was blushing!

"Thank you very much. Oh, you're too sweet" Lucia stated.

"My pleasure. This one is for you," Lysander handed Candy a long stem rose.

Candy gushed, "Wow, thanks Lysander. It's gorgeous."

"That's quite a classy move, young man" Phillip said witnessing the entire exchange.

Lysander's head whipped towards Phillip, "H-h-hello sir. It's nice to see you again. Thank you for inviting me into your home."

"Dad, dinner smells great! Is it ready?" Candy asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"In about 15 minutes." Phillip said calmly. "Lysander,"

"Yes sir?" Lysander gulped.

"You like paella right?" Phillip innocently questioned.

"I do. Candy is right, it smells quite delicious!" Lysander said politely.

"Thank you. Candy loves this dish. I make it because she loves it so much, because I love my daughter. I would do anything for her." Phillip stated dryly.

"You're a wonderful father sir" was all Lysander could think to say.

"Why don't you come into the kitchen, I'll show you my finishing touches!" Phillip's tone now was much more relaxed and friendlier.

"I'd love to learn from the master," Lysander said as he followed Candy's father into the kitchen.

Candy looked at her mother, dumbfounded she asked "what was that?!"

Lucia giggled, "that was your dad giving his blessing. Come on sweetheart let's put these flowers in water before they wilt."

Candy smiled to herself as she followed her mother. The rest of the evening was wonderful. Lysander and Phillip talked about their love for Shakespeare. Lucia complemented Lysander on his fashion choices and even promised to visit Leigh's store in the future. Candy let her parents and her boyfriend bond as she silently watched and gave Lysander encouraging glances. At the end of the night Lysander and Candy walked Lysander out of the building, mainly because she wanted some alone time with him as well.

"My parents loved you!" she smiled as she hugged Lysander.

Lysander quietly laughed as he coiled his arms around Candy, "I was trying very hard to get on their good side. I was a nervous mess!"

"Well, they definitely loved you" she smiled.

Lysander looked into Candy's eyes, "Well, I love you."

Candy blushed, "I love you, to—" before she could finish her sentence Lysander was kissing Candy passionately, he had been waiting all night to do so. In all honesty he had been waiting his entire life to love someone the way he loved Candy. Candy loved him back just as much.

 **The End**

 **((A/N: Thank you everyone! Be on the look out for my next fic!))**


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